XN000022-1993-05-28 — Page 15

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FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1993

THIS WAS BROADLY SIMILAR TO THE DEFICIT

OF $7,503 MILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 9.6% OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, RECORDED IN APRIL 1992.

IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, THE VALUE OF RE-EXPORTS AMOUNTED TO $241,813 MILLION, WHICH WAS $48,871 MILLION OR 25% HIGHER THAN A YEAR EARLIER.

THE VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS, AT $66,524 MILLION, WAS ABOUT THE SAME AS THAT IN THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

TAKING RE-EXPORTS AND DOMESTIC EXPORTS TOGETHER, THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF 1993, AT $308,337 MILLION, WAS $48,971 MILLION OR 19% HIGHER THAN A YEAR EARLIER.

THE VALUE OF IMPORTS INCREASED BY $50,201 MILLION OR 18% TO $326,708 MILLION.

A VISIBLE TRADE DEFICIT OF $18,371 MILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 5.6% THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, WAS RECORDED IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF

OF 1993.

THIS COMPARED WITH A TRADE DEFICIT OF $17,141 MILLION, EQUIVALENT TO 6.2% OF THE VALUE OF IMPORTS, RECORDED A YEAR EARLIER.

OUT

COMMENTING ON THE APRIL FIGURES, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN POINTED THAT TOTAL EXPORTS CONTINUED TO INCREASE RAPIDLY, DRIVEN BY THE ROBUST GROWTH IN RE-EXPORT.

AS A RESULT, THE SHARE OF RE-EXPORT IN THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORT ROSE TO 78% IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF 1993 TAKEN TOGETHER AND COMPARED WITH 74% A YEAR EARLIER.

AT THE SAME TIME, REFLECTING A SUSTAINED GROWTHI IN DOMESTIC DEMAND, RETAINED IMPORTS CONTINUED TO GROW STEADILY. IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF 1993, THE VALUE OF RETAINED IMPORTS WAS 8.0% HIGHER THAN A YEAR EARLIER.

A MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL TRADE IN APRIL 1993, BY COMMODITY AND COUNTRY, WILL BE RELEASED IN MID-JUNE.

/PRIVISIONAL FIGURES

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