XN000022-1993-02-23 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1993

ANALYSIS OF EXTERNAL TRADE BY TRANSPORT MODE IN 1992

THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE BY OCEAN ACCOUNTED 52.6% OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE LAST YEAR. ANOTHER 17.7% WAS TRANSPORTED BY AIR.

FOR

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THE REST 29.7% INCLUDED SHIPMENT BY LAND, BY RIVER, AS POSTAL PARCELS, AND HAND-CARRIED GOODS BY PASSENGERS ON VARIOUS MEANS OF TRANSPORT.

THESE

STATISTICS ARE RELEASED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE CENSUS

AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

SHIPMENT BY OCEAN AMOUNTED TO $988 BILLION IN 1992, WITH AN INCREASE OF 22.3% OVER THAT IN 1991. HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE BY AIR WENT UP BY 17.7% TO $333 BILLION IN 1992.

THE UNITED STATES REMAINED THE LARGEST COUNTRY OF DESTINATION FOR HONG KONG'S TOTAL EXPORTS (INCLUDING DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND RE- EXPORTS) BY OCEAN, ACCOUNTING FOR A SHARE OF 31.9% IN VALUE TERMS IN 1992. THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS BY OCEAN TO THE UNITED STATES WENT UP BY 24.8% IN 1992.

LAST YEAR, CHINA OVERTOOK GERMANY то BECOME THE SECOND LARGEST DESTINATION FOR HONG KONG'S TOTAL EXPORTS BY OCEAN. THE VALUE OF SEABORNE EXPORTS TO CHINA INCREASED BY 76.1% IN 1992 OVER 1991, WHILE THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS BY OCEAN TO GERMANY DECREASED BY 3.9%.

JAPAN WAS THE LARGEST SUPPLIER OF HONG KONG'S IMPORTS BY OCEAN, ACCOUNTING FOR A SHARE OF 27.9% IN VALUE IN 1992. THE VALUE OF IMPORTS BY OCEAN FROM JAPAN WENT UP BY 36.5% IN 1992 OVER 1991.

INCREASES WERE ALSO RECORDED IN SEABORNE IMPORTS FROM THE OTHER MAJOR SUPPLIERS: TAIWAN (+14.8%), THE UNITED STATES (+14.9%), THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA (+28.4%) AND CHINA (+19.3%).

IN 1992, THE UNITED STATES MARKET ACCOUNTED FOR 29.0% OF THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL EXPORTS BY AIR IN 1992. THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS BY AIR TO THE UNITED STATES INCREASED BY 16.1% OVER 1991.

THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS BY AIR TO MOST OTHER MAJOR COUNTRIES OF DESTINATION ALSO WENT UP, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GERMANY

(-6.6%).

AIRBORNE IMPORTS FROM ALL MAJOR SUPPLIERS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY IN 1992. THE PERCENTAGE INCREASES IN VALUE IN 1992 OVER 1991 WERE: JAPAN (+12.5%), THE UNITED STATES (+27.1%), SINGAPORE (+36.6%), TAIWAN (+32.8%) AND SWITZERLAND (+19.2%).

/SIGNIFICANT INCREASES