XN000022-1985-06-06 — Page 5

THUR DAY, JUNE 6, 1985

PRICE, VOLUME CHANGES IN MARCH EXTERNAL TRADE

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COMPARING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1985 WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, THE VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS DECLINED BY ONE PER CENT WHILE THAT OF RE-EXPORTS GREW BY 36 PER CENT, GIVING A 13 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF TOTAL EXPORTS, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

IMPORTS INCREASED BY 11 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS,

OVER THE SAME PERIOD, THE PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY FOUR PER CENT AND SIX PER CENT RESPECTIVELY WHILE THOSE OF IMPORTS REMAINED AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL.

COMPARING MARCH 1985 WITH MARCH 1984, THE VOLUME OF TOTAL EXPORTS DECREASED BY TWO PER CENT. WITHIN TOTAL EXPORTS, THE VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS DECREASED BY 22 PER CENT WHILE THAT OF RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY 30 PER CENT. IMPORTS INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT IN VOLUME TERMS,

PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY THREE PER CENT AND FIVE PER CENT RESPECTIVELY IN MARCH 1985 COMPARED WITH MARCH 1984, SO THAT FOR TOTAL EXPORTS, PRICES INCREASED BY FIVE PER CENT.

PRICES OF IMPORTS, ON THE OTHER HAND, DECREASED BY TWO PER CENT. AS A RESULT, THE TERMS OF TRADE INDEX (EXPRESSED AS A RATIO OF THE TOTAL EXPORT PRICE INDEX TO THE IMPORT PRICE INDEX) ROSE BY SEVEN PER CENT.

EXTENDING THE PERIOD OF COMPARISON TO THE 12 MONTHS ENDING MARCH 1985 WITH THE 12 MONTHS ENDING MARCH 1984, THE VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS INCREASED BY 11 PER CENT AND 31 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY, GIVING A 17 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF TOTAL EXPORTS. MEANWHILE, THE VOLUME OF IMPORTS ROSE BY 12 PER CENT. PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS, RE-EXPORTS AND IMPORTS ROSE, ON AVERAGE, BY 10 PER CENT, 11 PER CENT AND SEVEN PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

PRICES ARE BASED ON UNIT VALUES WHICH DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OR QUALITY OF GOODS TRADED. CHANGES IN THE VOLUME OF TRADE ARE DERIVED FROM CHANGES IN TRADE VALUES, AFTER DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES.

THE CHANGES IN THE VALUE, UNIT VALUE OF VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS BY COMMODITY GROUP FOR MARCH AND FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1985 ARE SHOWN IN TABLE 1.

/AS SHOWN