**************************************
The value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand for local production decreased by 11% in May 2003 compared with a year earlier, according to the provisional results of a monthly survey released today (July 4) by the Census and Statistics Department.
2. Comparing May 2003 with May 2002, the electrical products industry had the largest decrease in the value of orders-on-hand (-33%), followed by the electronic products industry (-30%), the fabricated metal products industry (-29%), the plastic products industry (-15%), and the textiles industry (-7%).
3. On the other hand, the value of orders-on-hand in the printing and publishing industry and the wearing apparel industry increased by 6% and 1% respectively in May 2003 over a year earlier.
4. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of orders-on-hand for the three months ending May 2003 decreased by 1% compared with the three months ending February 2003.
5. The Monthly Survey of Orders-on-hand covers a sample of some 300 manufacturing firms each engaging 50 or more workers.
6. Manufacturers' orders-on-hand refer to orders and parts of orders received earlier by manufacturers for local production which remain unfilled as at the end of the reference month. Orders received by traders not engaged in production are included if such orders are further placed to manufacturers for production locally. However, orders placed to manufacturing firms for production in the mainland of China and other places outside Hong Kong are not included.
7. Orders-on-hand are usually regarded as a leading indicator of the performance of domestic exports. However, as orders placed for production outside Hong Kong are not included, manufacturers!| orders-on-hand cannot be used to reflect the performance of re-exports.
8. The attached Table (text version of Table ) table shows the movement in the value of orders-on-hand in the manufacturing industries.
9. More detailed statistics are given in the "Monthly Survey of Orders-on-hand, May 2003" report. The report is now on sale at $8 per copy. The above publication and other publications of the Census and Statistics Department can be purchased in person from:
(i) Government Publications Centre, Ground Floor, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong (Tel.: 2537 1910); or
(ii) Publications Unit of the Census and Statistics Department, 19/F., Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong (Tel.: 2582 3025).
10. Internet users may purchase the publications online at the "Statistical Bookstore, Hong Kong" (Address: http://www.statisticalbookstore.gov.hk) with payment made instantly. Softcopies of the publication purchased are available for immediate downloading while hardcopies purchased will be delivered by mail. Subscription to regular publications and advance ordering of upcoming releases are also available. The Statistical Bookstore is hosted on the ESD portal (Address: http://www.esd.gov.hk) together with other public services.
11. A mail order form for ordering or arranging subscription to hardcopies of publications is available in most publications of the Census and Statistics Department. It may be completed and sent back together with a cheque or bank draft covering all necessary cost and postage. The order form is also available for downloading from the website of the Department (Address: http://www.info.gov.hk/censtatd/eng/service_desk/forms_index.html).
12. For enquiries about the survey results, please contact the Industrial Production Statistics Section of the Census and Statistics Department at telephone 2882 4208 or email orders@censtatd.gov.hk.
End/Friday, July 4, 2003
NNNN
