XN000022-1988-07-11 — Page 6

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MONDAY, JULY 11, 1988

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS FOR MAY

TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE IN MAY 1988, AT $78,292 MILLION, GREW BY 26 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS COMPARED WITH MAY 1987, ACCORDING TO THE DETAILED FIGURES ON VALUE OF TRADE IN MAY 1988 RELEASED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

IN

DOMESTIC EXPORTS INCREASED BY 5 PER CENT TO $17,274 MILLION MAY 1988. WHILE RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY 46 PER CENT TO $21,460 MILLION, THUS BRINGING TOTAL EXPORTS IN MAY 1988 ΤΟ $38,734 MILLION, WHICH REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 24 PER CENT OVER MAY 1987.

DURING THE SAME PERIOD OF COMPARISON, IMPORTS INCREASED BY 27 PER CENT TO $39,558 MILLION IN MAY 1988.

COMPARING MAY 1988 WITH MAY 1987, SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH WAS RECORDED IN THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO CHINA (+38 PER CENT), SINGAPORE (+27 PER CENT) AND AUSTRALIA (+23 PER CENT). THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND JAPAN GREW LESS RAPIDLY BY 9 PER CENT, 8 PER CENT AND 2 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY. FURTHER, DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S.A. THE LARGEST MARKET, DECREASED IN VALUE TERMS BY 10 PER CENT.

IMPORTS FROM ALL MAJOR SUPPLIERS INCREASED IN VALUE TERMS IN MAY 1988 OVER MAY 1987, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA (+47 PER CENT), THE U.S.A. (+45 PER CENT), TAIWAN (+41 PER CENT), ITALY (+33 PER CENT) AND CHINA (+26 PER CENT). IMPORTS FROM JAPAN INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS,

RE-EXPORTS TO JAPAN,

CHINA,

TAIWAN, AUSTRALIA, AND THE U.3.A.

SINGAPORE, THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN VALUE TERMS OVER THE SAME PERIOD, BY 87 PER CENT, 59 PER CENT, 46 PER CENT, 45 PER CENT, 42 PER CENT, 42 PER CENT AND 41 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

IN

TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE IN JANUARY TO MAY 1988, AT $350,961 MILLION, INCREASED BY 28 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD

1987.

DURING THE SAME PERIOD OF COMPARISON, THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS INCREASED BY 12 PER CENT TO $77,499 MILLION, WHILE RE-EXPORTS INCREASED BY 45 PER CENT TO $94,956 MILLION. THUS, THE VALUE OF TOTAL EX PORTS INCREASED BY 28 PER CENT то $172,455 MILLION, IMPORTS INCREASED BY 27 PER CENT TO $178,505 MILLION.

COMPARING JANUARY TO MAY 1988 WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1987, DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO MOST MAJOR MARKETS INCREASED IN VALUE TERMS.

THE MARKETS