HONG KONG's manufacturing sector gave a patchy performance last year, according to Census and Statistics Department data. More than half of selected industrial groups lost ground. Overall, industrial production fell marginally for the whole of 1994, slipping 0.1 per cent over the 12 months. However, there were indications the slowdown was beginning to reverse in the last quarter. The industrial index rose 0.7 per cent over the corresponding quarter in 1993, and 0.4 per cent over the previous quarter in 1994. The index of industrial production reflects changes in manufacturing output in real terms, measuring the volume of production after discounting the effect of price changes. About 53 per cent of groups and sub-groups ended the year down on 1993, according to the department's figures. Bucking the trend, electrical and electronic products, machinery, professional equipment and optical goods production rose 3.3 per cent for the year. In the last quarter output was five per cent higher than the same quarter in 1993, according to the statistics. Of this component, consumer electrical and electronics goods rose 15 per cent over the same quarter in 1993.
