Results of the 2008 Annual Survey of Industrial Production
**********************************************************

     According to the results of the 2008 Annual Survey of Industrial Production released today (November 27) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the gross output of the manufacturing sector amounted to $176.5 billion in 2008, representing an increase of 7.4% over 2007.

     The value added of the manufacturing sector, which is a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, amounted to $42.2 billion in 2008, representing a decrease of 3.7% from 2007.

     The gross surplus of the manufacturing sector decreased by 11.4% from a year earlier to $17.1 billion in 2008.

     Within the manufacturing sector, the five largest broad industry groups in terms of value added in 2008 were (1) paper products, printing and publishing industry; (2) basic metals, fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment industry; (3) food, beverages and tobacco industry; (4) chemical, rubber, plastic and non-metallic mineral products industry; and (5) textiles (including knitting) industry.  They together accounted for 85.8% of the total value added of the whole sector.

     Comparing 2008 with a year earlier, decreases in value added were observed in seven broad industry groups, namely the wearing apparel (except knitwear and footwear) industry (-19.9%); chemical, rubber, plastic and non-metallic mineral products industry (-12.2%); electrical and electronic products industry (-12.1%); textiles (including knitting) industry (-6.4%); food, beverages and tobacco industry (-5.3%); paper products, printing and publishing industry (-4.4%); and other miscellaneous manufacturing industries (-16.8%).

     On the other hand, the value added of basic metals, fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment industry increased by 17.9%.

     The attached table shows the principal industrial production statistics by broad industry group.

     The survey was conducted from January to October 2009.  Apart from manufacturing establishments, the survey also enumerated establishments engaged in quarrying; and supply of electricity, gas and water.

     More detailed survey results will be given in the "Report on 2008 Annual Survey of Industrial Production".  Users can download this survey report (in PDF format) free of charge at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/products_and_services/products/publications/index.jsp) as from end December 2009.

     For enquiries about the survey results, please contact the Industrial Production and Tourism Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel.: 2882 4208; Fax: 2123 1048; Email: manufacturing@censtatd.gov.hk).

Ends/Friday, November 27, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:30

NNNN