XN000022-1997-04-14 — Page 12

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Over the same period, more notable decreases in the value of re-exports were registered for telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (by $941 million or 5.5%); miscellaneous manufactured articles consisting mainly of baby carriages, toys, games and sporting goods (by $622 million or 3.2%); travel goods, handbags and similar containers (by $446 million or 7.5%); and plastics in primary forms (by $336 million or 7.5%).

Changes in the value of domestic exports to ten main destinations are shown in Table 3.

Comparing February 1997 with February 1996, increases were recorded in the value of domestic exports to France (+13%), the Netherlands (+4.8%) and China (+1.1%).

However, decreases were recorded in the value of domestic exports to Singapore (-24%), the United States (-23%), Taiwan (-21%), Canada (-13%), the United Kingdom (-9.7%), Germany (-8.5%) and Japan (-4.1%).

Comparing the first two months of 1997 with the same period in 1996, the value of domestic exports to France and the Netherlands increased by 13% and 10% respectively.

However, decreases were recorded in the value of domestic exports to Singapore (-28%), Taiwan (-23%), the United States (-18%), Canada (-15%), Germany (-8.1%), Japan (-5.6%), the United Kingdom (-3.9%) and China (-2.1%).

Taking all destinations together, the value of domestic exports in the first two months of 1997, at $29.9 billion, decreased by 10% over the same period in 1996.

Table 4 shows changes in the value of domestic exports of ten principal commodity divisions.

Comparing the first two months of 1997 with the same period in 1996, the value of domestic exports of most principal commodity divisions decreased. More notable decreases were registered for clothing (by $1.1 billion or 10%); electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (by $570 million or 11%); photographic apparatus, equipment and supplies, optical goods, watches and clocks (by $451 million or 18%); textiles (by $324 million or 16%); miscellaneous manufactured articles consisting mainly of jewellery, goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares (by $315 million or 12%); and office machines and automatic data processing machines (by $213 million or 9.7%).