XN000022-1990-01-25 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1990

ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT OF CONCERN WAS THE CONTINUED DECELERATION OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS IN THE GROWTH RATE OF RE-EXPORTS.

A LARGE PART OF THIS WAS DUE TO A MARKED DECLINE IN

RE-EXPORTS

ΤΟ CHINA, ALTHOUGH RE-EXPORTS OF CHINA ORIGIN STILL RECORDED

SIGNIFICANT GROWTH.

THE

SECOND

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT, ON A YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISON, VALUE OF RETAINED IMPORTS SHOWED CONSIDERABLE DECREASES IN THE HALF OF 1989.

THIS SUGGESTED THAT BOTH DOMESTIC DEMAND AND DOMESTIC WOULD REMAIN RELATIVELY WEAK IN THE SHORT TERM.

EXPORTS

THE FOLLOWING TABLE PRESENTS THE PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES

FOR

DECEMBER 1989:

MERCHANDISE:

DOMESTIC EXPORTS RE-EXPORTS

TOTAL EXPORTS IMPORTS

TRADE BALANCE

: $19,915 MILLION $29,587 MILLION

: $49,502 MILLION $47,445 MILLION $2,057 MILLION

[IN SURPLUS]

COMPARATIVE FIGURES

LATEST 3 MONTHS

OCT 89 TO DEC 89

OCT 88

HK$ MN.

TO DEC 88 HK$ MN.

INCREASE

HKS MN.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

60.177

61.291

-1,114

-1.8

RE-EXPORTS

91.617

82.457

9,160

11.1

TOTAL EXPORTS

151,794

143,748

8,046

5.6

IMPORTS

142,552

144,195

-1,643

-1.

1

TRADE BALANCE

9,242

-447

9,689

DECEMBER

SAME MONTH LAST YEAR

1989

HK$ MN

+

DECEMBER 1988 HKS MN.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

19,915

21.173

INCREASE

HK$ MN.

-1,258

P

5. 9

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(40.2%)

(43.0%)

RE-EXPORTS

29,587

28,123

TOTAL EXPORTS

49.502

49.296

1,464 206

5.2

0.4

IMPORTS

17,445

50,183

TRADE BALANCE

2,057

-887

-2,738 2,944

-5.5

/LAST MONTH