XN000022-1985-04-25 — Page 4

THURSDAY, ARPEL 25, 1985

PUTTING THE MONTH'S TRADE FIGURES INTO CONTEXT, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1985 WAS $54 449 MILLION, MADE UP OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF $28 976 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS OF $25 473 MILLION.

COMPARED WITH THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1984, THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS GREW BY $8 612 MILLION OR 19 PER CENT, DOMESTIC EXPORTS BY $861 MILLION OR THREE PER CENT, AND RE-EXPORTS BY $7 751 MILLION OR 44 PER CENT. THE VALUE OF IMPORTS GREW BY $5 216 MILLION, OR 11 PER CENT, TO $54 000 MILLION. AS THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS WAS GREATER THAN THAT OF IMPORTS, THE VISIBLE TRADE ACCOUNT RECORDED A SURPLUS OF $449 MILLION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1985.

COMMENTING ON THESE COMPARATIVE FIGURES, A GOVERNMENT

SECRETARIAT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT TRADE FIGURES FOR MARCH CONTINUED TO BE INFLUENCED BY THE TIMING OF THE CHINESE NEW YEAR, WHICH FELL IN THE SECOND HALF OF FEBRUARY THIS YEAR.

HE NOTED THAT WHILE THE GROWTH RATE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS CONTINUED TO SLACKEN, THE GROWTH RATE OF RE-EXPORTS REMAINED STRONG. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE DECEMBER 1958, THE VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS EXCEEDED THAT OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE PRESENTS THE PROVISIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FIGURES FOR MARCH 1985

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

MERCHANDISE:

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

: $ 8 430 MILLION

RE-EXPORTS

: $ 9 078 MILLION

TOTAL EXPORTS

: $17 508 MILLION

IMPORTS

: $19 915 MILLION

TRADE BALANCE

: $ 2 407 MILLION

(IN DEFICIT)

/COMPARATIVE FIGURES