XN000022-1982-03-21 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 1982

AIRBORNE IMPORTS FROM THE SIX MAJOR SUPPLIERS ARE SHOWN

1981 (HK$ MN.)

1980 (HK$ MN.)

INCREASE/DECREASE

(HK$ MN.)

PERCENTAGE

CHANGE

JAPAN

6 012

4661

+1 351

+29

USA

5 089

4 722

367

SWITZERLAND

2 139

2 186

47

2

UK

1 507

1 012

495

+49

TAIWAN

1 457

982

475

+48

REP. OF KOREA

1 295

894

401

+45

INCREASES WERE REGISTERED IN AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $1 360 MILLION OR 25 PER CENT), THERMIONIC, COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, PHOTOCELLS AND TRANSISTORS (BY $798 MILLION OR 26 PER CENT), AS WELL AS PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES (BY $672 MILLION OR 33 PER CENT). IN CONTRAST, DECREASES WERE NOTED IN THE SUPPLY, BY AIR, OF PARTS AND ACCESSORIES OF OFFICE MACHINES AND DATA PROCESSING MACHINES (BY $100 MILLION OR SIX PER CENT) AS WELL AS AIRCRAFT AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT (BY $414 MILLION OR 44 PER CENT).

INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF WATCHES AND CLOCKS FROM JAPAN (BY $843 MILLION OR 40 PER CENT) AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA (BY $316 MILLION OR 96 PER CENT). AMONG THE SIX MAJOR SUPPLIERS, THE USA WAS THE LARGEST SUPPLIER, BY AIR, OF PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES, SHOWING AN INCREASE OF $218 MILLION OR 115 PER CENT. GROWTH WAS ALSO RECORDED IN AIRBORNE IMPORTS OF THERMIONIC. COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, PHOTOCELLS AND TRANSISTORS FROM TAIWAN (BY $168 MILLION OR 85 PER CENT), AND THE USA (BY $165 MILLION OR 22 PER CENT).

AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS CONTINUED TO GROW IN 1981. MAJOR RE-EXPORT ITEMS WITH SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE THERMIONIC, COLD CATHODE AND PHOTO-CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, PHOTOCELLS AND TRANSISTORS (BY $652 MILLION OR 65 PER CENT), PEARLS, PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES (BY $509 MILLION OR 46 PER CENT), AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $279 MILLION OR 15 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS OF SILVER, PLATINUM AND OTHER METALS OF THE PLATINUM GROUP DECLINED SUBSTANTIALLY (BY $190 MILLION OR 73 PER CENT).

THE USA WAS THE LARGEST MARKET FOR HONG KONG'S AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS, WITH A VALUE OF $1 578 MILLION (AN_INCREASE OF $507 MILLION OR 47 PER CENT), INCREASES WERE ALSO REGISTERED IN AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS TO TAIWAN (BY $288 MILLION OR 29 PER CENT), SINGAPORE (BY $254 MILLION OR 26 PER CENT), ISRAEL (BY $203 MILLION OR 115 PER CENT), PHILIPPINES (BY $101 MILLION OR 65 PER CENT) AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA (BY $94 MILLION OR 51 PER CENT). AIRBORNE RE-EXPORTS TO SWITZERLAND CONTINUED TO DECLINE (BY $158 MILLION OR 41 PER CENT).

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