*********************************************************

In the first quarter of 2003, the value of domestic exports classified to the four major industries of wearing apparel; textiles; machinery, equipment, apparatus, parts and components; and consumer electrical and electronic products together accounted for 75% of Hong Kong's total domestic exports of manufactured goods, according to statistics released today (May 12) by the Census and Statistics

Department.

2. In the first quarter of 2003, the value of domestic exports classified to the machinery, equipment, apparatus, parts and components industry fell by $1.7 billion or 34.3% compared with the first quarter of 2002 to $3.3 billion, that to the consumer electrical and electronic products industry by $0.8 billion or 26.9% to $2.1 billion, and that to the textiles industry by $0.5 billion or 7.5% to $6.3 billion.

3. On the other hand, the value of domestic exports classified to the wearing apparel industry increased by $0.7 billion or 9.6% over a year earlier to $7.6 billion in the first quarter of 2003.

4. As for other industries, a notable decrease in the value of domestic exports was registered for the professional and optical equipment industry, by $0.7 billion or 59.6% compared with a year earlier to $0.5 billion in the first quarter of 2003.

5. 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.

6. The attached table (text version) shows the merchandise domestic export statistics classified by industrial origin.

7. The industrial classification used is the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC). The HSIC 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.

8. 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. The above domestic export statistics of a particular industry may include secondary products which are produced by establishments of other industries.

9. For enquiries on the statistics, please contact the

Industrial Production Statistics Section of the Census and Statistics Department at telephone 2805 6643 or email ind-production@censtatd.gov.hk.

End/Monday, May 12, 2003

NNNN