Hong Kong's total export volume rose 20.4 percent in April this year, and the volume of imports also increased markedly by 23 percent, according to a press release issued by the Census and Statistics Department Thursday.

Releasing the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for April, the Census and Statistics Department said that the volume of total exports grew 16.3 percent while the imports rose 17.5 percent in the first four months of this year incomparison with the first four months in 2003.

Comparing the three-month period ending April with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports rose 7.8 percent and the volume of imports rose 5.3 percent.

Comparing April this year and last year, the prices of total exports were virtually unchanged. However, the prices of imports rose 1.7 percent.

On price changes in the first four months of 2004 over the sameperiod in 2003, the prices of total exports were down 0.6 percent while the prices of imports of goods rose 1 percent.

The import volume of raw materials and 'semi-manufactures' rose30 percent. Significant increases in import volume were recorded for electronic components and leather and dressed furskins.

The import volume of capital goods rose 24.2 percent. Within this, notable increases were recorded in the import volume of telecommunications and transport equipment. But a decrease in import volume was noted for industrial machinery.

Source: Xinhua