XN000022-1985-09-15 — Page 3

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1985

JULY EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS RELEASED

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TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FOR JANUARY - JULY 1985, VALUED AT $265 171 MILLION, SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 8 PER CENT IN MONEY TERMS COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1984, ACCORDING TO TRADE STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

ON THE SAME BASIS OF COMPARISON, DOMESTIC EXPORTS DECREASED BY 5 PER CENT IN MONEY TERMS TO $71 984 MILLION, WHILE RE-EXPORTS INCREASED BY 39 PER CENT IN MONEY TERMS TO $61 555 MILLION AND IMPORTS BY 5 PER CENT IN MONEY TERMS TO $131 632 MILLION. DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER INCREASED BY 11 PER CENT

IN MONEY TERMS.

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

COMPARING THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF 1985 WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S. DECREASED BY 8 PER CENT. ANALYSED BY COMMODITY, DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $1 073 MILLION OR 35 PER CENT) AS WELL AS TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $887 MILLION OR 31 PER CENT)

ON THE OTHER HAND, INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN WATCHES AND CLOCKS (BY $164 MILLION OR 9 PER CENT), CLOTHING (BY $85 MILLION OR 1 PER CENT) AS WELL AS POWER GENERATING MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT (BY $30 MILLION OR 20 PER CENT).

MOST COMMODITIES EXPORTED TO CHINA INCREASED RAPIDLY IN VALUE, PARTICULARLY OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $838 MILLION OR 695 PER CENT) TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT (BY $759 MILLION OR 89 PER CENT) AS WELL AS ELECTRICAL MACHINERY APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES, AND ELECTRICAL PARTS THEREOF (BY $379 MILLION OR 116 PER CENT).

HOWEVER, DECREASES WERE REGISTERED FOR TEXTILES (BY $117 MILLION OR 10 PER CENT) AND FEEDING STUFF FOR ANIMALS (NOT) INCLUDING UNMILLED CEREALS) (BY $30 MILLION OR 61 PER CENT).

DECREASES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $352 MILLION OR 15 PER CENT) AS WELL AS ELECTRICAL MACHINERY, APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES, AND ELECTRICAL PARTS THEREOF (BY $124 MILLION OR 36 PER CENT). ON THE OTHER HAND, INCREASES WERE REGISTERED FOR METALL IFEROUS ORES AND METAL SCRAP (BY $57 MILLION OR 31 PER CENT).

DECREASES IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY WERE RECORDED IN CLOTHING (BY $732 MILLION OR 23 PER CENT) AND OFFICE MACHINES AND AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT (BY $165 MILLION OR 55 PER CENT). DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF CLOTHING TO JAPAN ALSO FELL (BY $198 MILLION OR 20 PER CENT).

/HOWEVER, INCREASES