XN000022-1981-11-16 — Page 3

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1981

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 1981

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 1981, VALUED AT $189 161 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 25 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1980.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 16 PER CENT TO $58 089 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 26 PER CENT TO $100 859 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 43 PER CENT TO $30 213 MILLION. DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 24 PER CENT.

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT RELEASED TODAY THE RELEVANT DETAILED TRADE STATISTICS.

THE CHANGES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE TEN MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS WERE AS FOLLOWS:

INCREASE/

JAN-SEPT 81 JAN-SEPT 80

(HK$ MN)

(HK$ MN)

DECREASE (HK$ MN)

PERCENTAGE CHANGE

U.S.A.

20 988

16 933

+4 055

+24

U.K.

5 493

4 856

+ 637

+13

F.R. OF GERMANY

5 133

5 425

292

- 5

JAPAN

2 114

1 674

440

+26

CHINA

1 937

1 049

888

+85

AUSTRALIA

1 878

1 434

444

+31

CANADA

1 705

1 289

416

+32

SINGAPORE

1 259

1 321

62

NETHERLANDS FRANCE

1 159

1 144

15

1 034

965

69

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S. CONTINUED TO GROW.

SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $1 672 MILLION OR 27 PER CENT), ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES (BY $722 MILLION OR 46 PER CENT), ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS AND PARTS FOR COMPUTERS (BY $719 MILLION OR 85 PER CENT) AND PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS (BY $267 MILLION OR 20 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF OFFICE MACHINES DECLINED (BY $73 MILLION OR 36 PER CENT).

INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM OF CLOTHING (BY $213 MILLION OR NINE PER CENT), PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS (BY $202 MILLION OR 83 PER CENT), AS WELL AS ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES BY $107 MILLION OR 48 PER CENT).

MOST COMMODITIES EXPORTED TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY DECREASED IN VALUE, INCLUDING WATCHES AND CLOCKS (DECLINED BY $84 MILLION OR 19 PER CENT) AS WELL AS TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (DECLINED BY $82 MILLION OR 16 PER CENT). THE DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES INCREASED STEADILY (BY $21 MILLION OR 11 PER CENT).

/SIGNIFICANT INCREASES