XN000022-1985-03-27 — Page 33

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1985

COMMENTING ON THESE COMPARATIVE FIGURES, A GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT BECAUSE TRADE FIGURES FOR THE BEGINNING MONTHS OF A YEAR WERE USUALLY INFLUENCED BY THE TIMING OF THE CHINESE NEW YEAR, IT WAS MORE USEFUL TO CONSIDER JANUARY AND FEBRUARY FIGURES TOGETHER. ON THIS BASIS, THE VALUES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND OF RE-EXPORTS IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THIS YEAR WERE 17 PER CENT AND 48 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY HIGHER THAN IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS INCREASED BY 29 PER CENT. AS THE VALUE OF IMPORTS INCREASED AT A SLOWER RATE OF 11 PER CENT, THE VISIBLE TRADE ACCOUNT RECORDED

A SURPLUS OF $2 856 MILLION IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 1985.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE PRESENTS THE PROVISIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FIGURES FOR FEBRUARY 1985-

TRADE FIGURES FOR FEBRUARY, 1985

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT HAS RELEASED THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FIGURES FOR FEBRUARY:-

MERCHANDISE:

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

RE-EXPORTS

: $ 9 380 MILLION

$ 7 437 MILLION

TOTAL EXPORTS

IMPORTS

$16 817 MILLION

$14 966 MILLION

TRADE BALANCE

$ 1 851 MILLION (IN

SURPLUS)

COMPARATIVE FIGURES

DECEMBER 1984

TO

LATEST 3 MONTHS

FEBRUARY 1985

DECEMBER 1983

TO FEBRUARY 1984

INCREASE OR

DECREASE

$ MN.

$ MN.

$ MN.

%

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

32 419

28 535

+ 3 884

RE-EXPORTS

25 415

17 284

+ 8 131

+13.6

+47.0

TOTAL EXPORTS

57 834

45 819

+12 015

+26.2

IMPORTS

55 014

49 570

+ 5 444

+11.0

TRADE BALANCE

+ 2 820

- 3 751

+ 6 571

'SAME MONTH