XN000022-1986-04-23 — Page 41

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1986

OVER THIS PERIOD THE VALUE OF IMPORTS GREW BY 2 PER CENT TO $233 092 MILLION. A VISIBLE TRADE SURPLUS OF $762 MILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 0.3 PER CENT OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, WAS RECORDED IN THE 12 MONTHS ENDING MARCH 1986, COMPARED WITH A FIGURE OF 0.6 PER CENT IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS ENDING MARCH 1985.

COMMENTING ON THESE FIGURES, A GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT BECAUSE TRADE STATISTICS FOR THE EARLY MONTHS OF A YEAR ARE USUALLY AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, IT IS MORE USEFUL TO CONSIDER FIGURES FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS TOGETHER.

ON THIS BASIS, THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND OF IMPORTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1986 WERE 1 PER CENT AND 3 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY HIGHER THAN IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR, WHILE THE VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS WAS 6 PER CENT LOWER.

HE ADDED THAT THE INCREASE (YEAR-ON-YEAR) IN THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1986 REPRESENTED A REVERSAL OF THE DECLINING TREND SEEN IN THE LAST THREE QUARTERS OF 1985.

THE DECLINE IN RE-EXPORTS, ON THE OTHER HAND

ON THE OTHER HAND, PROBABLY REFLECTED THE EFFECT OF CHINA'S TIGHTENING OF CONTROL OVER ITS FOREIGN EXCHANGE SPENDING.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE PRESENTS THE PROVISIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FIGURES FOR MARCH 1986 -

MERCHANDISE:

COMPARATIVE FIGURES

DOMESTIC EXPORTS: $10 269 MILLION RE-EXPORTS

TOTAL EXPORTS

IMPORTS

TRADE BALANCE

: 3 8 566 MILLION

: $18 835 MILLION

: $19 883 MILLION

$ 1 048 MILLION (IN DEFICIT)

-

LATEST 3 MONTHS

JAN - MAR

1986

JAN

-

MAR 1985

INCREASE OR

DECREASE

$ MN.

$ MN.

$ MN.

6

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

29 146

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(54.8%)

28 976 (53.2%)

170

+ J.6

RE-EXPORTS

24 005

25 473

- 1 468

5.8

TOTAL EXPORTS

53 151

54 449

- 1 298

2.4

IMPORTS

55 672

54 000

+ 1 672

+ 3.1

TRADE BALANCE

- 2 521

449

- 2 970

/SAME MONTH