GARMENT EXPORTS FOR YEARS 1984 TO 1986 (Mean and Median Dollar Values)

Mr Heng Chiang Meng asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what were the mean and/or median dollar values of Singapore's garment exports under quota for the years 1984 to 1986 to the United States and the E.E.C. and how these dollar values compare with those of Hong Kong and the other garment exporting countries of Asia.

BG Lee Hsien Loong: Singapore's garment exports under quota between 1984 and 1986 are as follows: Table I Singapore's Exports of Textiles and Garments under Quota (S$m) _________________________________________________________ 1984 1985 1986 _________________________________________________________ US 668 669 810 EEC 121 80 142 Others 41 37 56 _________________________________________________________ Source: Trade Development Board

There is no published data on quota exports by other Asian countries. The following Table shows the comparison of our total garment exports with that of the other Asian countries. Table II Exports of Garments (in US$billion) _________________________________________________ 1984 1985 1986 _________________________________________________ Hong Kong 5.58 5.42 NA South Korea 3.71 3.75 NA China 2.54 2.08 NA Singapore 0.55 0.53 0.60 Thailand 0.54 NA NA Indonesia 0.29 NA NA Malaysia NA NA NA Philippines NA NA NA _________________________________________________ Source: GATT Secretariat

Singapore's share in the US and EEC markets is relatively small compared to the share of the other Asian countries. The comparison is given in the following Table: Table III Imports of Garments by the US and EEC, 1985 _______________________________________________________________ Importing USA EEC Country _________________________________________________ Exporting US$ % of total US$ % of total Country billion imports billion imports _______________________________________________________________ Hong Kong 3.54 21.8 1.53 8.8 Taiwan 2.50 15.4 0.33 1.9 South Korea 2.48 15.3 0.77 4.4 China 1.05 6.5 0.37 2.1 Philippines 0.49 3.0 0.11 0.6 Singapore 0.36 2.2 0.05 0.3 Malaysia 0.23 1.4 0.07 0.4 Thailand 0.27 1.7 0.14 0.8 Indonesia 0.22 1.4 0.04 0.2 _______________________________________________________________ Source: Foreign Trade by Commodities