XN000022-1992-01-30 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1992

ANALYSING INCOMING SHIPS BY SHIP TYPE, MAJOR INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE NUMBER OF CONTAINER VESSELS (+289), OIL TANKERS (+276) AND DRY BULK CARRIERS (+45); WHILE MAJOR DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE NUMBER OF CONVENTIONAL CARGO VESSELS (-49) AND SEMI-CONTAINER VESSELS (-37).

ANALYSING INCOMING SHIPS BY FLAG OF VESSELS, MAJOR INCREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE NUMBER OF SHIPS REGISTERED IN CHINA (+273) AND LIBERIA (+29); WHILE MAJOR DECREASES WERE RECORDED FOR THOSE REGISTERED IN PANAMA (-33) AND TAIWAN (-30).

THE NUMBER OF INCOMING SHIPS WITH A CAPACITY OP LESS THAN 10,000 DEADWEIGHT TONS INCREASED BY 439 WHILST THE NUMBER OF THOSE WITH A LARGER CAPACITY INCREASED BY 98.

IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1991, THERE WERE 5,531 OUTGOING SHIPS WITH A TOTAL CAPACITY OF 31.1 MILLION NRT, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 584 (OR 12%) IN NUMBER AND OF 1.9 MILLION NRT (OR 7%) IN CAPACITY OVER THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1990. THE TOTAL TONNAGE OF CARGO LOADED ONTO OUTGOING SHIPS (ESTIMATED FROM A SAMPLE OF MANIFEST CONSIGNMENTS) ROSE BY 22%.

OVER THE SAME PERIOD OF COMPARISON, CHANGES IN THE NUMBER OF OUTGOING SHIPS BY SHIP TYPE, FLAG, AND CAPACITY ARE LARGELY THE SAME. AS THOSE OBSERVED IN INCOMING SHIPS, AS ABOUT 64% OF THE SHIPS STAYED IN HONG KONG FOR LESS THAN TWO DAYS.

DEPARTING

TERMS OF

OF THE CARGO DISCHARGED FROM INCOMING SHIPS, 87% IN TONNAGE WAS IMPORTS AND 13% WAS TRANSHIPMENT CARGO. OF THE CARGO LOADED ONTO OUTGOING SHIPS, 66% WAS EXPORTS (INCLUDING DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS) AND 34% WAS TRANSHIPMENT CARGO.

THE MAJOR COUNTRIES OF LOADING FOR SEABORNE IMPORTS IN TONNAGE TERMS WERE SINGAPORE (WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 15%), JAPAN (13%), AUSTRALIA (13%), CHINA (11%), USA (9%), TAIWAN (8%) AND THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA (6%); WHILE THE MAJOR COUNTRIES OF DISCHARGE FOR SEABORNE EXPORTS WERE USA (WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 22%), CHINA (18%), TAIWAN (11%), JAPAN (5%), SINGAPORE (5%), THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY (4%) AND THE UNITED KINGDOM (3%).

(14%),

TRANSHIPMENT CARGO WAS MAINLY LOADED IN CHINA (30%) AND USA AND WAS MAINLY DISCHARGED ALSO IN CHINA (23%) AND USA (13%).

COMPARING THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1991 WITH THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1990, MAJOR INCREASES IN TONNAGE WERE NOTED FOR SEABORNE IMPORTS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA (+112%), USA (+52%), AUSTRALIA (+37%), TAIWAN (+25%) AND JAPAN (18%). AS A WHOLE, THE TOTAL TONNAGE OF SEABORNE IMPORTS ROSE BY 16%.

AMONG THE PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES, MAJOR INCREASES IN CARGO TONNAGE WERE RECORDED FOR SEABORNE IMPORTS OF ARTIFICIAL RESINS AND PLASTIC MATERIALS (+44%), PETROLEUM, PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND RELATED MATERIALS (+27%), PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS (+19%), AND COAL, COKE AND BRIQUETTES (+12%); WHILE A MAJOR DECREASE WAS RECORDED FOR SEABORNE IMPORTS OF CEMENT AND CEMENT CLINKER (-34%).

/COMPARING THE