XN000022-1983-09-11 — Page 2

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1983

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE FOR JANUARY JULY 1983

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY - JULY 1983, VALUED AT $172 964 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 14 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1982, ACCORDING TO SUMMARY TRADE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 17 PER CENT TO $53 014 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 13 PER CENT TO $91 258 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 15 PER CENT TO $28 692 MILLION. DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 16 PER CENT.

THE CHANGES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE TEN MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE SHOWN IN TABLE 1.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S.A. ROSE BY 30 PER CENT IN VALUE.

SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $1 988 MILLION OR 31 PER CENT), TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $933 MILLION OR 88 PER CENT) AND OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $862 MILLION OR 99 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS (BY $327 MILLION OR 18 PER CENT) AND TRANSISTORS AND DIODES (BY $47 MILLION OR 37 PER CENT).

INCREASES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM WERE REGISTERED FOR METALLIFEROUS ORES AND METAL SCRAP (BY $463 MILLION OR 1 618 PER CENT), TEXTILES (BY $63 MILLION OR 26 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $41 MILLION OR 28 PER CENT). HOWEVER, DECREASES WERE REGISTERED FOR CLOTHING (BY $115 MILLION OR 6 PER CENT) AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $42 MILLION OR 19 PER CENT).

MOST COMMODITIES EXPORTED TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY INCREASED IN VALUE, INCLUDING OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $87 MILLION OR 317 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $39 MILLION OR 17 PER CENT). HOWEVER, DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES, AND ELECTRICAL PARTS THEREOF DECREASED BY $19 MILLION OR 10 PER CENT.

SIGNIFICANT INCREASES WERE REGISTERED IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO CHINA OF TEXTILES (BY $316 MILLION OR 65 PER CENT) AND FEEDING STUFF FOR ANIMALS (BY $102 MILLION OR 449 PER CENT), AND IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO JAPAN OF METALLIFEROUS ORES AND METAL SCRAP (BY $52 MILLION OR 42 PER CENT).

THE CHANGES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS BY MAJOR COMMODITY DIVISIONS ARE PRESENTED IN TABLE 2.

THE CHANGES IN IMPORTS FROM THE TEN MAJOR SOURCES ARE SUMMARISED IN TABLE 3.

DEMAND FOR IMPORTED GOODS FROM CHINA REMAINED STRONG.

INCREASES WERE