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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1984

MANY OF THE MAJOR IMPORTED FOODSTUFFS DECLINED IN VOLUME TERMS, THE MORE SIGNIFICANT ONES BEING SUGAR, CEREALS AND CEREAL PREPARATIONS OTHER THAN RICE, WHEAT AND FLOUR, VEGETABLES, MILK, BUTTER, CHEESE AND EGGS AS WELL AS FRUIT. HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN IMPORT VOLUME WERE REGISTERED FOR WHEAT AND FLOUR, MEAT AND MEAT PREPARATIONS AS WELL AS FISH AND FISH PREPARATIONS.

THE IMPORT VOLUME OF MAJOR CONSUMER GOODS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, THE MORE SUBSTANTIAL ONES BEING PASSENGER MOTOR CARS, RADIOS, TELEVISION SETS, GRAMOPHONES, RECORDS, TAPE RECORDERS AND AMPLIFIERS, HOUSEHOLD TYPE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES, CLOTHING AS WELL AS CAMERAS, FLASHLIGHT APPARATUS AND SUPPLIES FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, HOWEVER, DÉCREASES IN IMPORT VOLUME WERE REGISTERED FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, MISCELLANEOUS MADE-UP ARTICLES OF TEXTILE MATERIALS, WATCHES, TOBACCO MANUFACTURES AND FOOTWEAR.

THE IMPORT VOLUME OF MOST OF THE RAW MATERIALS AND SEMI- MANUFACTURES ROSE, AMONG WHICH WOOL AND OTHER ANIMAL HAIR, THERMIONIC CATHODE VALVES AND TUBES, DIODES, TRANSISTORS AND ELECTRICAL MICROCIRCUITS, WOOD, LUMBER AND CORK, MAN-MADE FIBRES, CLAY AND REFRACTORY CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, BUILDING MATERIALS ETC., EXCEPT GLASS, FABRICS OF WOOL AND MIXTURES, YARN OF MAN-MADE FIBRES, IRON AND STEEL, SPECIAL TEXTILE FABRIC FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSE, PAPER AND PAPER BOARD AS WELL AS CHEMICAL ELEMENTS AND COMPOUNDS, INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. HOWEVER, THE IMPORT VOLUME OF SILK FABRICS, COTTON YARN AND THREAD, CRUDE ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE MATERIALS AS WELL AS DYEING, TANNING AND COLOURING MATERIALS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY.

IMPORTS OF FUELS ROSED BY EIGHT PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS.

IN THE CAPITAL GOODS CATEGORY, THE IMPORT VOLUME OF NEARLY ALL COMMODITIES INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY, THE MORE NOTEWORTHY ONES BEING OFFICE MACHINES AND TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT. HOWEVER, A DECREASE IN THE IMPORT VOLUME OF TEXTILE MACHINERY WAS RECORDED.

THE CHANGES IN THE VALUE, UNIT VALUE AND VOLUME OF RE-EXPORTS

BY END-USE CATEGORY ARE SHOWN IN TABLE 3.

AS DEPICTED IN TABLE 3, THE RE-EXPORT VOLUME OF NEARLY ALL END-USE CATEGORIES INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY, RANGING FROM 15 PER CENT FOR CONSUMER GOODS TO 70 PER CENT FOR FUELS. HOWEVER, THE RE-EXPORT VOLUME OF FOODSTUFFS DROPPED BY 22 PER CENT.

FURTHER DETAILS ARE CONTAINED IN THE SEPTEMBER 1984 ISSUE OF THE HONG KONG TRADE INDEX NUMBERS+, AVAILABLE SOON AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AT HK$2 PER COPY.

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