XN000022-1983-01-03 — Page 4

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MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1983

TRADE-WEIGHTS FOR EXCHANGE RATE INDEX UPDATED

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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT HAS REVISED THE WEIGHTS USED IN ITS CALCULATION OF THE TRADE-WEIGHTED INDEX FOR THE HONG KONG DOLLAR. THE NEW WEIGHTS REFLECT THE PATTERN OF HONG KONG'S VISIBLE TRADE IN 1981, WHEREAS THE CALCULATION HAS HITHERTO USED WEIGHTS DERIVED FROM HONG KONG'S TRADING PATTERN IN 1972. THE INDEX CONTINUES TO BE BASED ON DECEMBER 18, 1971- 100.

THE OLD AND NEW WEIGHTS ARE COMPARED IN THE FOLLOWING TABLE.

1972 WEIGHTS

1981 WEIGHTS

(%)

(%)

AUSTRALIA

BELGIUM

3.44

2.74

1.48

1.23

CANADA

1.97

1.65

CHINA

10.61

17.99

FRANCE

1.31

1.69

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

7.12

5.19

ITALY

1.12

1.34

JAPAN

18.87

16.81

NETHERLANDS

1.63

1.21

SINGAPORE

4.50

7.26

SOUTH KOREA

1.72

3.58

SWITZERLAND

2.65

2.21

TAIWAN

5.49

6.83

UNITED KINGDOM

10.91

7.15

UNITED STATES

27.19

23.14

COMPARATIVE SERIES FOR THE INDEX BASED ON THE TWO SETS OF WE IGHTS ARE SHOWN IN THE THREE TABLES TOGETHER WITH A GRAPH (ATTACHED). FOR THIS PURPOSE END-MONTH FIGURES WITH THE NEW WEIGHTS HAVE BEEN CALCULATED BACK TO DECEMBER 1980, MID-WEEK FIGURES FOR THE WHOLE OF 1982 AND DAILY FIGURES FOR DECEMBER 1982.

/THE CENSUS