Hong Kong recorded total goods exports of 244 billion HK dollars
(31.28 billion U.S. dollars) in November, representing a
year-on-year growth of 6.3 percent.
The growth was slower than the year-on-year growth of 9.8
percent in October, the Census and Statistics Department of the
Hong Kong SAR government said in a report released Friday.
"Merchandise exports saw a notable expansion in November. The
mainland market was vibrant, albeit expanding at a less rapid pace
than in previous months on a year-on-year comparison," a spokesman
for the Census and Statistics Department said.
Within the above-mentioned total exports of 244 billion HK
dollars, re-exports were up 6.9 percent at 234 billion HK dollars
(30 billion U.S. dollars) and domestic exports rose 0.8 percent to
10 billion HK dollars (1.28 billion U.S. dollars).
Concurrently, goods imports rose 9.3 percent over a year earlier
to 260 billion HK dollars (33.33 billion U.S. dollars) after a
year-on-year rise of 12.1 percent in October, leading to a visible
trade deficit of 16 billion HK dollars (2.05 billion U.S. dollars),
equivalent to 6.1 percent of goods imports in November.
For the first 11 months, total goods exports grew 9.3 percent
year on year.
Visible trade deficit for the first 11 months as a whole was
153.2 billion HK dollars (19.64 billion U.S. dollars), equivalent
to 5.9 percent of goods imports.
In analysis by country or region, exports to Asia in November
rose 9.3 percent, with an increase of 36.3 percent registered in
the values of total exports to India, 19.6 percent for Indonesia,
17.4 percent for Thailand and 13 percent for Malaysia.
Exports to the Chinese mainland in November went up 9.5
percent.
The rises offset export falls to the United States and
Japan.
The month saw significant increases in trade of many principal
commodities, particularly telecommunications and sound recording
and reproducing apparatus and equipment, which went up 31.9 percent
in exports and 31.1 percent in imports.
Electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical
parts also grew 18.1 percent in exports and 15.5 percent in
imports.
For the first 11 months of the year, significant year-on-year
increases were recorded in total exports and imports of most
principal commodities, particularly electrical machinery, apparatus
and appliances, and electrical parts.
Looking ahead, the spokesman said outlook for external
environment was subject to greater uncertainty and much would
depend on whether the U.S. economy would slow down sharply in the
coming quarters and the extent of the fallout from U.S. credit
crunch.
But the vibrant mainland market and the sound economic
fundamentals of the Asian region should continue to provide support
to Hong Kong's external trade, he added.
(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2007)
