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In the first quarter of 2008, the value of domestic exports classified to the six major industries including textiles; consumer electrical and electronic products; wearing apparel; chemicals and chemical products; basic metals and fabricated metal products; and machinery, equipment, apparatus, parts and components together accounted for 77% of Hong Kong's total domestic exports, according to statistics released today (May 8) by the Census and Statistics Department.
In the first quarter of 2008, the value of domestic exports classified to the machinery, equipment, apparatus, parts and components industry fell by $0.4 billion or 14.5% to $2.2 billion as compared with the same quarter in 2007, that for the textiles industry by $0.6 billion or 14.4% to $3.7 billion, that for the consumer electrical and electronic products industry by $0.1 billion or 3.0% to $2.9 billion, and that for the wearing apparel industry by $0.04 billion or 1.5% to $2.8 billion. On the other hand, the value of domestic exports classified to the basic metals and fabricated metal products industry increased by $0.8 billion or 56.3% over a year earlier to $2.3 billion, and that for the chemicals and chemical products industry by $0.3 billion or 11.9% to $2.6 billion.
As for other manufacturing industries, a more significant impact was caused by a decrease registered for the value of domestic exports classified to the paper and paper products, printing and publishing industry, by $0.3 billion or 20.6% compared with a year earlier to $1.0 billion in the first quarter of 2008.
The above statistics of domestic exports classified by industrial origin are derived by re-grouping the merchandise domestic export items originally grouped under the external trade classification system according to the industries in which these merchandise items are normally produced. Transactions in gold and specie are not included.
The attached table shows the domestic export statistics classified by industrial origin.
The industrial classification used is the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC), which is to be distinguished from the United Nations Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) used in the regular trade statistics reports. In comparison, the HSIC is more related to production processes whereas the SITC is more geared to end uses of products.
Caution should be taken when referring to these domestic export statistics classified by industrial origin. There may be several intermediate processing stages in the production of certain merchandise domestic export items. In compiling the above statistics, the total value of such an item has however been wholly related to the industry in which the item is finally produced. Moreover, the above domestic export statistics of a particular industry may include secondary products which are produced by establishments of other industries.
For enquiries on the statistics, please contact the Industrial Production and Tourism Statistics Section of the Census and Statistics Department at telephone 2805 6643 or email ind-production@censtatd.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, May 8, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:15
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