XN000022-1988-09-11 — Page 2

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SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER 11, 1988

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS FOR JULY

TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE IN JULY 1988, AT $88,503 MILLION, GREW BY 29 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS COMPARED WITH JULY 1987, ACCORDING TO DETAILED FIGURES ON VALUE OF TRADE IN JULY RELEASED TODAY (SUNDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS INCREASED BY 6 PER CENT TO $20,135 MILLION IN JULY, WHILE RE-EXPORTS ROSE BY 17 PER CENT TO $23,974 MIT.LION, THUS BRINGING TOTAL EXPORTS IN JULY TO $44,110 MILLION, WHICH REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 25 PER CENT OVER JULY 1987.

DURING THE SAME PERIOD OF COMPARISON, IMPORTS INCREASED BY 33 PER CENT TO $44,394 MILLION IN JULY 1988.

COMPARING JULY 1988 WITH JULY 1987. SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH WAS RECORDED IN THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO CHINA +35 VER CENT), SINGAPORE (+32 PER CENT), THE NETHERLANDS (+27 PER (ENT) AND THE UNITED KINGDOM (+25 PER CENT).

THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO JAPAN AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY ALSO GREW, BY 12 PER C'ENT AND

PER CENT RESPECTIVELY. HOWEVER, DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO THE U.S.A.. THE LARGEST MARKET, DECREASED BY 8 PER CENT IN VALUE TERMS.

IMPORTS FROM MOST MAJOR SUPPLIERS INCREASED IN VALUE TERMS IN JULY 1988 OVER JULY 1987, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA (+61 PER CENT), THE U.S.A. (+44 PER CENT), SINGAPORE (+42 PER CHINA (+33 PER CENT), TAIWAN (+31 PER CENT) AND ITALY (+30 PER IMPORTS FROM JAPAN ALSO INCREASED BY 22 PER CENT.

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CENT), CENT).

RE-EXPORTS TO JAPAN, THE U.S.A., CHINA AND TAIWAN, INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN VALUE TERMS OVER THE SAME PERIOD IN 1987 BY 96 PER CENT, 53 PER CENT, 52 PER CENT AND 19 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY. THE VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS TO THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA ALSO INCREASED, BY 36 PER CENT,

TOTAL MERCHANDISE TRADE IN JANUARY TO JULY 1988, AT $523.134 MILLION, INCREASED BY 29 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD 1987.

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IN

DURING THE SAME PERIOD OF COMPARISON THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC" EXPORTS INCREASED BY 11 PER CENT TO $115,754 MILLION, WHILE RE-EXPORTS INCREASED BY 47 PER CENT TO $141,295 MILLION. THUS, THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS INCREASED BY 28 PER CENT TO $257.049 MILLION. IMPORTS INCREASED BY 30 PER CENT TO $266,085 MILLION.

/COMPARING JANUARY