XN000022-1987-11-10 — Page 7

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1987

HE POINTED OUT THAT AS A BRITISH PORT OF REGISTER, HONG KONG RANKED IN THE TOP TEN IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF TONNAGE AND RANKED WITH THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF THE SAFETY STANDARDS OF ITS SHIPS.

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HONG KONG HAD A WORLD-CLASS HARBOUR AND PORT

INCLUDING A CONTAINER PORT WHICH, THIS YEAR, WAS LIKELY ΤΟ BECOME THE LARGEST CONTA INER PORT IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF THROUGHPUT.

HE NOTED THAT HONG KONG WAS DEVELOPED AS THE ONLY DEEP WATER PORT IN THE SOUTH OF CHINA, AND THAT HAD NOT CHANGED.

WHAT ALSO SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN WAS THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG SHIPPING INTERESTS.

MR HIGGINSON SAID OF ABOUT 30 MILLION GROSS REGISTERED TONNAGE (GRT) OWNED OR MANAGED BY HONG KONG INTERESTS, ONLY ABOUT FIVE MILLION GRT WAS REGISTERED IN HONG KONG; THE OTHER THREE MILLION GRT REGISTERED IN HONG KONG WAS OWNED OR MANAGED OUTSIDE HONG KONG.

"WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW REGISTER, A REGISTER WHICH MANNING AND OWNERSHIP RULES WILL BE RELAXED, WE EXPECT TO SEE LIMITED INFLUX BY REGIONAL OWNERS WHO WILL WISH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE THE EXCELLENT SHIPPING INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH EXISTS HERE.

"AND OUR ROLE AS A PORT AND AS A SHIPPING CENTRE FOR CHINA LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE, HE SAID.

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IN

A

OF

IS

"GIVEN THE PROLIFERATION OF OPEN REGISTERS; GIVEN THE WISH OF FINANCIERS, MAJOR OWNERS, INSURERS AND OTHERS TO FIND REGISTERS WHICH MAKE ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL SENSE AND WHICH HAVE HIGH STANDARDS OF SAFETY, WE FORESEE THAT THE HONG KONG REGISTER WILL BE ATTRACTIVE MANY OWNERS, BOTH WORLDWIDE AND IN ASIA," MR HIGGINSON ADDED.

TO

EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS FOR SEPTEMBER RELEASED

THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS

DEPARTMENT VALUE STATISTICS FOR SEPTEMBER 1987. COMPARED TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE IN SEPTEMBER 1987, AT BY 38 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS,

TODAY RELEASED WITH SEPTEMBER

1986, $67,111 MILLION, GREW

TRADE

COMPARED WITH SEPTEMBER 1986, DOMESTIC EXPORTS INCREASED IN VALUE TERMS BY 28 PER CENT TO $17,843 MILLION IN SEPTEMBER 1987 WHILE RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY 48 PER CENT TO $16,502 MILLION, BRINGING TOTAL EXPORTS IN SEPTEMBER 1987 TO $34,345 MILLION, WHICH WAS 37 PER CENT HIGHER THAN IN SEPTEMBER 1986. ON THE SAME BASIS OF COMPARISON, IMPORTS INCREASED IN VALUE TERMS BY 40 PER CENT TO $32,766 MILLION SEPTEMBER 1987.

IN

/DOMESTIC EXPORTS