XN000022-1996-04-15 — Page 14

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However, the value of imports from Japan decreased by 3.2%.

The value of imports in the first two months of 1996, at $226.3 billion, increased by 11% over the same period in 1995.

Table 6 shows changes in the value of imports of ten principal commodity

divisions.

Comparing the first two months of 1996 with the same period in 1995, increases were recorded in the value of imports of most principal commodity divisions. More notable increases were registered for electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (by $3.8 billion or 15%); clothing (by $2.9 billion or 23%); office machines and automatic data processing machines (by $2.7 billion or 32%); miscellaneous manufactured articles consisting mainly of baby carriages, toys, games and sporting goods (by $1.5 billion or 12%); general industrial machinery and equipment, and machine parts (by $1.2 billion or 20%); and footwear (by $1.1 billion or 14%).

Over the same period, a decrease in the value of imports was recorded for textiles (by $404 million or 2.2%).

All the trade statistics described here are measured at current prices and no account has been taken of changes in prices between the periods of comparison.

A separate analysis of the volume and price movements of external trade for February 1996 will be released in early May 1996.

Detailed trade statistics analysed by commodity and by country/ territory are published in trade statistics reports.

The February 1996 issue of the "Hong Kong External Trade" with detailed analyses on the performance of Hong Kong's external trade in February 1996 will be on sale at $129 per copy around April 26.

The report can be purchased at either the Government Publications Centre, Ground Floor, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong, or the Publications Unit of the Census and Statistics Department, 19th Floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

Enquiries regarding regular subscription to this report may be directed to the Publications (Sales) Office, 28th floor, Siu On Centre, 188 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (Tel. 2598 8194) and enquiries on trade statistics to the Census and Statistics Department (Tel. 2582 4915).