XN000022-1983-10-10 — Page 5

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1963

+THE DEPARTMENT IS NOW REVIEWING THIS ROLE TO SEE WHETHER ANY STRENGTHENING AND EXPANSION OF ITS ROLE IN THIS FIELD IS NEEDED,+ HE ADDED.

MR YAXLEY SAID HE FELT THERE WAS A GOOD DEAL MORE THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR COULD DO IN THE AREA OF QUALITY ASSURANCE.

+PUBLIC FUNDS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR THIS CONFERENCE IN THE HOPE THAT FURTHER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE.

+IT IS OUR HOPE THAT, THROUGH THIS CONFERENCE, WE SHALL BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THE RESPECTIVE ROLES OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR INCLUDING THE WORK FORCE, AND THE TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN HONG KONG'S CAMPAIGN FOR BETTER QUALITY PRODUCTS AND TO DEVISE A CONCERTED PLAN OF ACTION FOR THE FUTURE,+ MR YAXLEY SAID.

EXTERNAL TRADE FIGURES FOR JANUARY TO AUGUST

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY - AUGUST 1983, VALUED AT $202 905 MILLION, INCREASED BY 16 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE SIMILAR PERIOD IN 1982, ACCORDING TO SUMMARY TRADE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

DOMESTIC EXPORT ROSE BY 18 PER CENT TO $62 979 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 15 PER CENT TO $106 377 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 17 PER CENT TO $33 548 MILLION.

CENT.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER INCREASED BY 18 PER

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 31 PER CENT IN VALUE.

SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $2 383 MILLION OR 32 PER CENT); TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $1 176 MILLION OR 92 PER CENT) AND OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $993 MILLION OR 100 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS (BY $327 MILLION OR 15 PER CENT) AND TRANSISTORS AND DIODES (BY $61 MILLION OR 42 PER CENT).

INCREASES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM WERE REGISTERED FOR METALLIFEROUS ORES AND METAL SCRAP (BY $560 MILLION OR 1 877 PER CENT); TEXTILES (BY $73 MILLION OR 25 PER CENT) AND WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $50 MILLION OR 28 PER CENT). HOWEVER, DECREASES WERE REGISTERED FOR CLOTHING (BY $84 MILLION OR FOUR PER CENT) AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCT. APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $39 MILLION OR 15 PER CENT).

/LOST COLLODIJIES