XN000022-1991-04-24 — Page 31

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1991

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PUTTING THESE FIGURES INTO PERSPECTIVE, THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS INCREASED BY $2,042 MILLION AND $21, 198 MILLION, OR 4.4% AND 25.5% OVER A YEAR EARLIER, TO $48,502 MILLION AND $104,347 MILLION IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1991.

THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS, AT $152,849 MILLION, WAS $23,240 MILLION OR 17.9% HIGHER THAN A YEAR EARLIER. OVER THE SAME PERIOD, THE VALUE OF IMPORTS INCREASED BY $29,994 MILLION OR 22.6% TO $162,675 MILLION. IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1991, A VISIBLE TRADE DEFICIT OF $9,826 MILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 6.0% OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, WAS RECORDED.

THIS COMPARES WITH A DEFICIT OF $3,072 MILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 2.3% OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, RECORDED IN THE SAME QUARTER LAST YEAR.

COMMENTING ON THE MARCH TRADE FIGURES, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THE GROWTH RATE OF RE-EXPORTS, THOUGH LOWER THAN THE PRECEDING MONTHS, WAS STILL QUITE SIGNIFICANT.

IN

HE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS A SUSTAINED INCREASE IN RETAINED IMPORTS, WHICH REGISTERED YEAR-ON-YEAR GROWTH RATES IN VALUE TERMS OF 13% IN MARCH AND 19.1% IN THE FIRST QUARTER.

THE FOLLOWING TABLE PRESENTS THE PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR MARCH 1991.

MERCHANDISE:

DOMESTIC EXPORTS :

$14,980 MILLION

RE-EXPORTS

$33,865 MILLION

TOTAL EXPORTS

$48,845 MILLION

IMPORTS

TRADE BALANCE

$57,006 MILLION $8,161 MILLION

[IN DEFICIT]

COMPARATIVE FIGURES

LATEST 3 MONTHS

JAN 91 TO MAR 91

HK$ MN.

JAN 90 TO MAR 90 HK$ MN.

INCREASE

HK$ MN.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

48,502

46,460

2.042

4.4

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(31.7%)

(35.8%)

RE-EXPORTS

104,347

83,149

21,198

25.5

TOTAL EXPORTS

152,849

129,609

23,240

17.9

IMPORTS

162,675

132,681

29,994

22.

6

TRADE BALANCE

-9,826

-3,072

-6,754

SAMB MONTH LAST YEAR

MARCH 1991

HK$ MN.

MARCH 1990 HK$ MN.

INCREASE

HK$ MN.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

14,980

16,512

-1,532

-9.3

[% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(30.7%)

(34.9%)

RE-EXPORTS

33,865

30,743

3,122

10.2

TOTAL EXPORT'S

48,845

47.255

1,590

3.4

IMPORTS

57,006

51.117

5,889

11.5

TRADE BALANCE

9.161

-3,862

-4,299

/LAST MONTH