INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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mostly to the domestic knitting industry although some yarn is woven into cloth. Other woven products include silk and rayon brocade of traditional Chinese design, tapes, military webbing, lace, mosquito netting, carpets and rugs. The dyeing, printing and finishing sectors produce a wide range of multi-colour screen and roller prints, pre-shrunk and permanent-pressed fabrics by several processes under licence, and polymerized materials with drip-dry characteristics.
The production of garments remains the largest sector within the industry, employing 71,700 workers. A wide range and variety of clothing, from high fashion dresses to cotton singlets, is produced for export all over the world. Embroidered blouses, beaded or sequinned woollen cardigans, silk and brocade, and evening coats have worldwide popularity while, in conformity with world trends, demand has increased significantly for permanent press garments. Custom and mail order tailoring, principally of men's suits, has developed rapidly in recent years as an important branch of in- dustry. Knitting mills produce towels, tee-shirts, underwear and nightwear, swimsuits, gloves, socks and stockings in cotton, silk, wool and other fabrics. From a total of $862 million in 1961, the value of exports of clothing has risen to $3,014 million in 1968, produced by some 1,240 factories.
OTHER LIGHT INDUSTRIES
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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 produced for export goods worth some $1,035 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 16 million sets worth $329 million in 1968. The industry exports its products all over the world with its principal markets in the United States and the United Kingdom. The manu- facture of electronic components is also making rapid progress.