XN000022-1983-12-18 — Page 2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1983

HONG KONG'S JANUARY

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OCTOBER EXTERNAL TRADE

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY - OCTOBER 1983, VALUED AT $266 908 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 21 PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD IN 1982 ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (SUNDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS ROSE BY 23 PER CENT TO $83 091 MILLION, IMPORTS BY 20 PER CENT TO $139 486 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS BY 23 PER CENT TO $44 331 MILLION.

THE CHANGES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE 10 MAJOR OVERSEAS MARKETS ARE SHOWN IN TABLE 1.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S.A. ROSE BY 37 PER CENT IN VALUE.

SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $3 576 MILLION OR 37 PER CENT); TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $1 761 MILLION OR 103 PER CENT); AND OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $1 429 MILLION OR 109 PER CENT).

ON THE OTHER HAND, DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN PLASTIC TOYS AND DOLLS (BY $271 MILLION OR 10 PER CENT) AND TRANSISTORS AND DIODES (BY $94 MILLION OR 50 PER CENT).

INCREASES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM WERE REGISTERED FOR METALLIFEROUS ORES AND METAL SCRAP (BY $634 MILLION OR 1 723 PER CENT); OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $154 MILLION OR 265 PER CENT); AND TEXTILES (BY $106 MILLION OR 28 PER CENT).

HOWEVER, DECREASES WERE REGISTERED FOR CLOTHING (BY $30 MILLION OR 1 PER CENT) AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $20 MILLION OR 6 PER CENT).

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MOST COMMODITIES EXPORTED TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY INCREASED IN VALUE INCLUDING CLOTHING (BY $148 MILLION OR 4 PER CENT AND OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $147 MILLION OR 344 PER CENT).

HOWEVER, DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCÉS, AND ELECTRICAL PARTS THEREOF DECREASED BY $25 MILLION OR 9 PER CENT.

SIGNIFICANT INCREASES WERE REGISTERED IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO CHINA OF TEXTILES (BY $516 MILLION OR 70 PER CENT) AND FEEDING STUFF FOR ANIMALS (BY $105 MILLION OR 228 PER CENT); AND IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO JAPAN OF METALL IFEROUS ORES AND METAL SCRAP (BY $94 MILLION OR 53 PER CENT).

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

THE CHANGES IN IMPORTS FROM THE 10 MAJOR SOURCES ARE SUMMARISED IN TABLE 3.

/DEMAND FOR