TNAG-1267-FCO40-1616-Economic-situation-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 241

Growth rates in real terms of imports by end-use categories (%)

Year-on-

year comparison

1982/1981

Consumer

Foodstuffs goods

Fuels

Raw materials and semi-

Capital

manufactures_goods

7

0

7

-6

-6

1982/1981 Q1

02

Q3

13

}

Q4

vrtu v w

-4

11

-9

-4

7

1

7

-6

-18

1

6

-7

1

1

3

-3

1

1982/1981 H1

H2

59

5

-2

9

24

9

1

95

-7

-12

-5

1

1983/1982 Q1

4

Q2(*)

4

25

-11

-2

-7

5

-10

18

1

1983/1982 H1(*)

Note: (*)

4

4

-10

9

-3

2.12

Estimated by using trade indexes available up to May 1983.

The growth rate of retained imports also recovered

in the second quarter, giving a year-on-year rate of increase

of about 3% in real terms in the first half. This increase

was largely attributable to increases in retained imports of

foodstuffs by about 2% and of raw materials and

semi-manufactures by about 12% in real terms. Retained

imports of fuels, consumer goods and capital goods, however,

decreased by roughly 11%, 3% and 5% respectively in real terms

over this period. There are three significant developments.

First, the growth rate in real terms of retained imports of

raw materials and semi-manufactures increased, from 18 in the

first quarter to an estimated 21% in the second quarter. This

is encouraging, as it implies that the recovery

the recovery in domestic

exports is likely to gather momentum in

in the coming months.

Second, retained imports of consumer goods,

goods, after showing

year-on-year decrease of 7% in real terms in the first

a

13

/quarter