PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
thers Tobacco Company Ltd., the Hong Kong Tobacco Company Ltd., and the London Tobacco Company Ltd., Cigarettes and cigars of all qualities are produced and the manufacture of packaging is also carried out. The closure of the Chinese market since 1949 has seriously affected this industry. Exports of cigarettes during 1954 were valued at £47,451.
Footwear. The principal types of footwear made locally are rubber shoes and boots. Fifty-two factories with over 6,500 employees are engaged in this industry. Exports during 1954 amounted to 1,091,914 dozen pairs valued at £2,736,555, the largest market being in the United Kingdom.
Cement. One factory, the Green Island Cement Company Ltd., manufactures cement and has a capacity of 110,000 tons a year. It employs 260 workers. Apart from clay and iron ore all the raw materials required are imported. The great bulk of the company's output is absorbed locally, but some cement is exported to Malaya and Borneo and other places in South East Asia. In 1954 exports were valued at £285,126.
Cordage, Rope and Twine. Forty-two factories employing some 900 workers are engaged in this in- dustry. The most important is the Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing Company Ltd., which makes ropes and hawsers of all kinds from raw fibre imported from the Philippines. Exports of rope during 1954 were valued at £193,811.
Matches. There are four match factories in the Colony employing about 600 workers. Their products. are of good quality, and the best markets are in Malaya, the Philippines and Indonesia. The value of exports during 1954 was £163,356.
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