Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:
 
     Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals:
 
     "The Social Welfare Department announces that due to the anticipated unstable traffic and unforeseeable conditions, members of the public are advised not to take their children or family members to child care centres, centres providing after school care programmes, elderly services centres or day rehabilitation units including sheltered workshops, integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres and day activity centres from November 15 to 17. These centres will, however, remain open during their normal operating hours to serve those whose families cannot provide alternative care for them. Members of the public who have the need for the services mentioned may contact the service units concerned in advance."

     The Home Affairs Department announced today (November 14) that due to special circumstances in various districts, some Home Affairs Enquiry Centres (HAECs) will be closed earlier.
 
     The following HAECs will be closed at 5pm today:
 

• Central & Western Home Affairs Enquiry Centre
• North Home Affairs Enquiry Centre
• Sha Tin Home Affairs Enquiry Centre
• Tai Po Home Affairs Enquiry Centre
• Tuen Mun Home Affairs Enquiry Centre

 
     The following HAECs will be closed at 6pm today:
 

• Kowloon City Home Affairs Enquiry Centre
• Kwun Tong Home Affairs Enquiry Centre
• Wong Tai Sin Home Affairs Enquiry Centre
• Kwai Tsing Home Affairs Enquiry Centre
• Tsuen Wan Home Affairs Enquiry Centre
• Yuen Long Home Affairs Enquiry Centre

     The closing time for other HAECs will remain unchanged.

     Taking into consideration transportation service disruptions and to ensure the safety of patients and staff members, the Department of Health (DH) today (November 14) announced that its daytime clinics will be closed at 5pm or after the completion of booked appointments.
 
     The evening service of some DH clinics will also be adjusted or suspended today.

     The following evening clinics will be suspended earlier at 6.30pm: East Kowloon Chest Clinic, Kowloon Chest Clinic, Sai Ying Pun Chest Clinic, Shaukeiwan Chest Clinic, Shek Kip Mei Chest Clinic, South Kwai Chung Chest Clinic, Wanchai Chest Clinic, Yan Oi Chest Clinic, Yaumatei Chest Clinic, Yuen Chau Kok Chest Clinic and Yung Fung Shee Chest Clinic.

     The evening dental services of Wan Chai Dental Clinic, Yau Ma Tei Dental Clinic, Sheung Kwai Chung Government Dental Clinic and Pamela Youde Government Dental Clinic in Sha Tin will also be suspended.

     Those with appointments will be given a new appointment.
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (November 14) the key analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund at the end of October 2019.
      
     Foreign assets, representing the external assets of the Exchange Fund, increased during the month by HK$14.5 billion to HK$3,630.3 billion.
      
     The Monetary Base, comprising Certificates of Indebtedness, Government‑issued currency notes and coins in circulation, the balance of the banking system and Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued, amounted to HK$1,646.3 billion.
      
     Claims on the private sector in Hong Kong amounted to HK$265.2 billion.
      
     The analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund are released in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) and are referred to as the Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank under SDDS (Annex).
 
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     At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of November 2019, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

     Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for September 2019 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (November 14) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.

     In September 2019, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods decreased by 7.8% over September 2018. Concurrently, the volume of imports of goods decreased by 11.0%.

     Comparing the first nine months of 2019 with the same period in 2018, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods decreased by 5.9%. Concurrently, the volume of imports of goods decreased by 7.9%.

     Comparing the third quarter of 2019 with the preceding quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods decreased by 0.2%. Concurrently, the volume of imports of goods decreased by 1.6%.

     Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.

     Comparing September 2019 with September 2018, the prices of total exports of goods increased by 0.6%. Concurrently, the prices of imports of goods increased by 0.8%.

     As regards price changes in the first nine months of 2019 over the same period in 2018, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods both increased by 1.6%.

     Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.

     The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods. Compared with the same periods in 2018, the index decreased by 0.2% in September 2019, whereas it remained virtually unchanged in the first nine months of 2019.
 
     Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.

     Comparing September 2019 with September 2018, double-digit declines were recorded for the total export volume to the USA (-23.6%) and India (-10.7%). Concurrently, the total export volume to the mainland of China (the Mainland) (-5.9%) and Japan (-4.9%) also decreased. On the other hand, the total export volume to Taiwan increased by 13.7%.

     Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to the Mainland and Japan increased by 1.6% and 0.6% respectively. On the other hand, the total export prices to the USA (-0.4%), Taiwan (-0.8%) and India (-1.7%) decreased.

     Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.

     Comparing September 2019 with September 2018, double-digit declines were recorded for the import volume from Korea (-24.8%), Singapore (-17.8%) and the Mainland (-10.6%). Concurrently, the import volume from Japan also decreased by 2.1%. On the other hand, the import volume from Taiwan increased by 4.1%.

     Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from the Mainland (1.6%), Japan (0.8%) and Singapore (0.3%) increased. On the other hand, the import prices from Taiwan (-1.4%) and Korea (-1.6%) decreased.

Further information

     Details of the above statistics are published in the September 2019 issue of "Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers". Users can download the publication free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp230.jsp?productCode=B1020006).

     Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4918).