XN000022-1983-09-21 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1983

NOTE TO EDITORS I

PRESS CONFERENCE ON TEXTILES CONTROL SYSTEM

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A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF THE 1983 REVIEW OF THE TEXTILES EXPORT CONTROL SYSTEM, WILL BE HELD AT 11.30 AM ON FRIDAY (SEPTEMBER 23) AT THE GIS THEATRE, 5TH FLOOR, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, CENTRAL.

THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR JOHN CHAN, AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR C.W. LAU WILL BE PRESENT AT THE CONFERENCE.

COPIES OF THE REVIEW REPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE THEATRE AT 9.30 AM. MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES PLEASE NOTE THAT CONTENTS OF THE REPORT SHOULD NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL THE PRESS CONFERENCE IS OVER.

YOU ARE INVITED TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO COVER. TV AND RADIO STATIONS REPRESENTATIVES ARE REQUESTED TO SET UP THEIR EQUIPMENT BY 11.15 AM.

PORT SETS RECORD FOR MONTH

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AN ALL TIME RECORD WAS ACHIEVED IN THE PORT DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST 1983, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF OCEAN-GOING VESSELS WHICH ARRIVED AND, IN RESPECT OF THE TONNAGE OF CARGO LOADED, SO MUCH SO THAT 1983 IS LIKELY TO BREAK ALL RECORDS PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED, A MARINE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY.

ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF OCEAN-GOING VESSELS WHICH ENTERED HONG KONG IN AUGUST 1983, INCREASED BY ONLY SOME 9.0 PERCENT OVER AUGUST 1982, ENORMOUS PERCENTAGE INCREASES WERE EXPERIENCED IN CARGO BOTH LOADED AND DISCHARGED IN HONG KONG.

A REMARKABLE INCREASE OF 39.8 PERCENT WAS RECORDED IN CARGO LOADED BY OCEAN-GOING VESSELS, WHEREAS AN INCREASE OF SOME 24.3 PERCENT WAS RECORDED FOR CARGO DISCHARGED.

EVEN LARGER INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN RIVER TRADE ACTIVITIES, WHERE A GROWTH OF SOME 79.2 PERCENT WAS RECORDED IN TERMS OF CARGO LOADED BY RIVER TRADE VESSELS, HE SAID.

A SUMMARY OF THE INCREASES IS AS FOLLOWS :-

COMPARATIVE PORT STATISTICS FOR OCEAN-GOING VESSELS

NUMBER OF OCEAN-GOING VESSELS ENTERED

AUGUST 1983

AUGUST 1982

CHANGE PER CENT INCREASE

1.019

935

8.98PC

/NET REGISTERED