XN000022-1987-04-27 — Page 11

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MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1987

THE VERY RAPID GROWTH IN RE-EXPORTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1987 WAS LARGELY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE FLOURISHING ENTREPOT TRADE WITH CHINA, WHICH FEATURED PROMINENTLY BOTH AS A SOURCE AND AS A MARKET FÖR HONG KONG'S RE-EXPORTS.

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT, GIVEN THE STRONG GROWTH IN IMPORTS, THE GROWTH MOMENTUM OF EXPORTS WAS LIKELY TO BE SUSTAINED IN THE COMING MONTHS.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE PRESENTS THE PROVISIONAL MERCHANDISE TRADE FIGURES FOR MARCH 1987:

MERCHANDISE:

DOMESTIC EXPORTS: RE-EXPORTS

TOTAL EXPORTS

IMPORTS

TRADE BALANCE

$14 483 MILLION

$13 864 MILLION

$28 347 MILLION

$30 731 MILLION

$2 384 MILLION (IN DEFICIT)

COMPARATIVE FIGURES

JAN 87 TO

JAN 86 TO

INCREASE

LATEST 3 MONTHS

MAR 87

HK$ MN.

MAR 86 HK$ MN.

HK$ MN.

%

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

38 528

29 146

9 382

32.2

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(51.4%)

(54.8%)

RE-EXPORTS

36 484

24 005

12 479

52.0

TOTAL EXPORTS

75 012

53 151

21 861

41.1

IMPORTS

78 366

55 672

22 694

40.8

TRADE BALANCE

-3 354

-2 521

-833

SAME MONTH LAST YEAR

MARCH

1987

HK$ MN.

MARCH 1986 HK$ MN.

INCREASE

HK$ MN.

%%

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

14 483

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(51.1%)

10 269 (54.5%)

4 214

41.0

/RE-EXPORTS

13 864