XN000022-1985-10-25 — Page 10

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1935

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PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR SEPTEMBER

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THE VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS GREW BY $1 144 MILLION OR 16 PER CENT IN SEPTEMBER 1985 OVER SEPTEMBER 1984 TO REACH $8 287 MILLION, WHILE THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS FELL BY $1 434 MILLION OR 12 PER CENT TO $10 980 MILLION, ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES PUBLISHED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

TAK ING DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS TOGETHER. THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS DECLINED BY $290 MILLION, OR 2 PER CENT, TO $19 267 MILLION IN SEPTEMBER 1985. THE VALUE OF IMPORTS ALSO FELL, BY $410 MILLION OR 2 PER CENT, TO $18 177 MILLION.

IN CONSEQUENCE, A VISIBLE TRADE SURPLUS OF $1 090 MILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 6 PER CENT OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, WAS RECORDED IN SEPTEMBER 1985, COMPARED WITH 5 PER CENT IN SEPTEMBER 1984.

PUTTING THE MONTH'S TRADE FIGURES INTO CONTEXT, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS FOR THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1985 WAS $173 595 MILLION, MADE UP OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF $94 946 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS OF $78 649 MILLION.

COMPARED WITH THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1984, THE VALUES OF TOTAL EXPORTS AND OF RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY 8 PER CENT AND 34 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY, WHILE THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS FELL BY 7 PER CENT. OVER THIS PERIOD THE VALUE OF IMPORTS GREW BY 4 PER CENT TO $168 925 MILLION.

A VISIBLE TRADE SURPLUS, EQUIVALENT TO 2.8 PER CENT OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, WAS RECORDED FOR THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH A VISIBLE TRADE GAP (THAT IS, THE PROPORTION OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS NOT COVERED BY THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS) OF 1.6 PER CENT IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

COMMENTING ON THESE FIGURES, A GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE CONTINUED DECLINE IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS (YEAR-ON-YEAR) WAS LARGELY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE RELATIVELY LOW

IN GROWTH RATES OF THE ECONOMIES OF HONG KONG'S EXPORT MARKETS PARTICULAR THE UNITED STATES, IN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS OF 1985. RE-EXPORTS, ON THE OTHER HAND, CONTINUED TO RECORD SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH.

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

MERCHANDISE:

TRADE FIGURES FOR SEPTEMBER, 1985

DOMESTIC EXPORTS . $10 980 MILLION

RE-EXPORTS

TOTAL EXPORTS

8 287 MILLION

: $19 267 MILLION

/IMPORTS

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