INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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have worldwide popularity. Custom and mail order tailoring, principally of men's suits, has rapidly developed in recent years into an important branch of industry. Knitting mills produce towels, tee-shirts, underwear and nightwear, swimsuits, gloves, socks and stockings in cotton, silk, wool and other fabrics. Production and export of knitted woollen and acrylic knitwear, especially for women, has shown phenomenal growth in recent years. From a total of $862 million in 1961, the value of exports of clothing has risen to $2,000 million in 1966, produced by some 1,100 factories.
OTHER LIGHT INDUSTRIES
In the ever-widening range of light industry the most prominent, after textiles, is the manufacture of plastic articles. Skill in the cutting of moulds and dies, together with the ability to meet short orders, have resulted in increased exports of a very wide variety of products. These include artificial flowers, toys and dolls, house- hold ware, household furniture of polypropylene, and PVC sheeting and coated fabrics. The industry manufactured exports worth some $659 million during the year.
There has been spectacular growth in the electronics industry. The manufacture or assembly of transistor radios began only in 1959, but since then exports of transistor radios have increased to reach a total of 11.6 million sets worth $184 million in 1966. The industry exports to 77 countries, but its principal markets are the United Kingdom and the United States. The manufacture of electronic components continues to make rapid progress. A number of leading American electronic manufacturers have established subsidiaries in Hong Kong. Silicon transistors and diodes, con- densers, transformers, capacitors, resistors, loudspeakers and printed circuit boards are now produced and exported. Other electronic products include television sets and tuners, transceivers and computer memory cores.
While the plastics and electronics industries illustrate some of the factors behind Hong Kong's striking industrial development, light industries of many varieties have continued to make steady progress. They include the manufacture of air-conditioners, alumin- iumware, clocks and watches, cordage, electrical appliances and equipment, enamelware, food and beverages, footwear, light metal