Machinery exports surge 28pc to $10.7b
STATISTICS show that Hong Kong's third largest export commodity - machinery and equipment - surged 28 per cent in the third quarter year-on-year to $10.7 billion.
The Census and Statistics Department said textiles and clothing exports contracted 5 per cent to $14.2 billion but remained the largest export commodity, at 23 per cent, among Hong Kong's total exports.
Domestic exports were worth $63.18 billion, 3.5 per cent higher than the year-earlier figure.
The four major industries - textiles and wearing apparel; machinery, equipment, apparatus, parts and components; and consumer electrical and electronic products - accounted for 72 per cent of Hong Kong's total domestic exports of manufactured goods.
Those of wearing apparel increased by 2 per cent to $12.1 billion.
Consumer electrical and electronic products decreased by 2 per cent to $8.2 billion.
The value of domestic exports for professional and optical equipment increased 11 per cent to $4.3 billion.
Paper and paper products rose 9 per cent to $3.3 billion.
An eightfold surge was recorded in the transport equipment industry from $4.5 million to $39.9 million. There was a decrease in the value of domestic exports for tobacco manufactures, dropping 21 per cent to $518.2 million.
Footwear plunged 70 per cent to $15.2 million, and rubber products dropped 41 per cent to $17.8 million.
The department said the classification system was related to production processes - the department only took into account the major product lines of a factory for the purpose of statistics.
