XN000022-1996-07-29 — Page 6

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The top five countries of discharge for seaborne outward cargo (comprising seaborne exports and seaborne outward transhipment) were China (24%), USA (18%), Taiwan (6%), Japan (6%) and the Federal Republic of Germany (5%).

The top five principal commodities of seaborne inward cargo in tonnage terms include petroleum, petroleum products and related materials (21%); artificial resins and plastic materials (8%); iron and steel (8%); coal coke and briquettes (7%) and paper and paper products (6%).

The top five principal commodities of seaborne outward cargo in tonnage terms include machinery (12%); other manufactured goods classified chiefly by material (10%); other manufactured articles (7%); petroleum, petroleum products and related materials (5%) and artificial resins and plastic materials (5%).

The distribution of the top 10 countries of loading and discharge and their changes in the tonnage of seaborne inward and outward cargo between the first quarter of 1996 and the first quarter of 1995 are shown in Table 2 and Table 3.

Similar statistics for seaborne inward and outward cargo analysed by the top 10 principal commodities are shown in Table 4 and Table 5.

Ocean vessel statistics are compiled primarily from general declarations submitted to the Marine Department by ship masters or authorised shipping agents and cover all ocean vessels entering and leaving Hong Kong, excluding yachts and pleasure craft.

Seaborne cargo statistics are compiled from a sample of consignments listed in the ocean cargo manifests supplied by shipping companies or agents to the Census and Statistics Department. The sampling method is described in the explanatory notes of the report.

More details of ocean vessel and seaborne cargo statistics for the first quarter of 1996 are contained in the report - Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, January-March 1996 - which is published in bilingual form.

The report is now on sale at $66 per copy at the Government Publications Centre, Queensway Government Offices, Low Block, ground floor, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong, and the Publications Unit of the Census and Statistics Department on 19th floor, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai.

Enquiries on statistics contained in the report may be directed to the Shipping and Cargo Statistics Section of the Census and Statistics Department on 2582 4887.