HONG KONG FEBRUARY TRADE SWINGS INTO DEFICIT
Hong Kong recorded a 3.51 billion
H.K. Dlr deficit in February after a 2.54 billion dlr surplus
in January as imports climbed and exports slid, the Census and
Statistics Department said.
    The deficit compared with a deficit of 1.76 billion dlrs in
February 1986.
    Imports rose to 24.12 billion dlrs, up 2.6 pct from
January's 23.52 billion dlrs and 42 pct above the 16.98 billion
dlrs recorded in February 1986.
    Total exports for the month fell 20.9 pct to 20.61 billion
dlrs from 26.06 billion in January.
    February exports were still 35.4 pct above the 15.22
billion dlrs recorded in the same month last year.
    Re-exports, the territory's traditional entrepot trade,
outpaced domestically produced exports for the first time since
March 1985.
    Re-exports fell 11.6 pct to 10.62 billion dlrs from 12.0
billion dlrs in January but were 54 pct above February 1986's
6.88 billion dlrs. Domestic exports slid 28.9 pct to 9.99
billion dlrs from January's 14.05 billion dlrs but were up 19.7
pct over the 8.35 billion dlrs recorded in February 1986.
 REUTER
