XN000022-1986-03-08 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1986

GOVERNOR TO HOST DINNER FOR JLG TEAMS

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, WILL HOST A DINNER PARTY AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE ON MONDAY (MARCH 10) FOR MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH AND CHINESE TEAMS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP.

THE THIRD JLG MEETING IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE AT THE FORMER INFANTS SCHOOL PREMISES AT VICTORIA BARRACKS FROM MARCH 11 TO 14.

NOTE TO EDITORS,

ARRANGEMENT WILL BE MADE FOR THE MEDIA TO COVER THE ARRIVAL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH AND CHINESE TEAMS. DETAILS WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER.

PRICE, VOLUME MOVEMENTS OF 1985 EXTERNAL TRADE

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STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT THE VOLUME OF RE-EXPORTS GREW BY 25 PER CENT IN 1985 AS COMPARED WITH 1984, WHILE THE VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS DECREASED BY 5 PER CENT. THERE WAS THUS AN OVERALL INCREASE OF 6 PER CENT IN THE VOLUME OF TOTAL EXPORTS IN 1985.

IMPORTS ALSO INCREASED BY 6 PER CENT IN VOLUME. OVER THE SAME PERIOD, THE PRICES OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS REMAINED UNCHANGED WHILE THOSE OF RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY 1 PER CENT, SO THAT FOR TOTAL EXPORTS, PRICES INCREASED BY 0.5 PER CENT.

PRICES OF IMPORTS, HOWEVER, FELL BY 3 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 3 PER CENT,

PRICES ARE BASED ON UNIT VALUES WHICH DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OR QUALITY OF GOODS TRADED, EXCEPT FOR SOME SELECTED COMMODITIES FOR WHICH SPECIFICATION PRICE INDEXES ARE COMPILED. THE VOLUME OF TRADE IS DERIVED FROM TRADE VALUES BY DISCOUNTING THE EFFECT OF PRICE CHANGES.

COMPARING DECEMBER 1985 WITH DECEMBER 1984, BOTH THE VOLUME OF TOTAL EXPORTS AND IMPORTS INCREASED BY 7 PER CENT. WITHIN TOTAL EXPORTS, THE VOLUME OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS ALSO EACH INCREASED BY 7 PER CENT.

/OVER THE .............