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INDUSTRY AND TRADE
The output of cotton yarn was 127 million kilograms in 1982, compared with 129 million kilograms in 1981. Production of man-made fibre yarn and cotton/man-made fibre blended yarn was 25 million kilograms in 1982, compared with 37 million kilograms in 1981, and production of woollen and worsted yarn was four million kilograms, compared with five million kilograms the previous year. Most of the yarn produced was used locally.
The weaving sector, with 22 935 looms, produced 618 million square metres of woven fabrics of various fibres and blends, compared with 713 million square metres in 1981. The bulk of the production - 90 per cent - was of cotton. Much of the fabric produced was exported in the piece, but local clothing manufacturers also used large quantities of locally woven and finished fabrics.
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The knitting sector exported 13 million kilograms of knitted fabrics of which 22 per cent was of man-made fibres or blended cotton/man-made fibres, and 78 per cent was of cotton - compared with 14 million kilograms in 1981. In addition, a large quantity of knitted fabric of all fibres was used by local clothing manufacturers.
The finishing sector of the industry provides sophisticated support facilities to the spinning, weaving and knitting sectors. It handled a large amount of textile fabrics for bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing. The processes performed included yarn texturising, multi-colour roller and screen printing, transfer printing, pre-shrinking, per- manent pressing and polymerising.
The clothing sector is the largest single sector within the manufacturing industry, employing some 277 776 workers or about 32 per cent of the total industrial workforce. Domestic exports of clothing in 1982 were valued at $28,824 million, compared with $28,288 million in 1981.
Other Light Industries
'The electronics industry maintained its position as the second largest export-earner among Hong Kong's manufacturing industries. Domestic exports of electronic products in 1982 were valued at $8,455 million, compared with $9,174 million in 1981. The industry com- prises 1 305 factories employing 85 946 workers. It produces a wide range of products, including radios, computer-memory systems, calculators, transistors, integrated circuits, wafer chips for integrated circuits, semi-conductors, prepackaged electronic modules, television sets, electronic games, smoke detectors, burglar alarm systems, micro-computers and telecommunication equipment comprising digital dialers, cordless telephones and telephones with built-in memories. The distinction between this industry and others, notably toys and watches, is becoming increasingly difficult to define because of the widespread application of electronics technology to consumer products in various other industries.
The plastics industry fared well in 1982. Domestic exports during the year were valued at $7,869 million, compared with $6,706 million in 1981. The industry has 5 104 factories and 83 043 workers. Hong Kong continues to be the world's largest supplier of toys, which represented the bulk of the plastics industry's output.
The watches and clocks industry experienced a difficult year in 1982, particularly the electronic watches and clocks sector due mainly to over-supply and strong competition among local manufacturers and from neighbouring countries. The industry also encountered serious import restrictions in France. Domestic exports during the year were valued at $7,452 million compared with $7,409 million in 1981. The industry has 1810 factories employing 45 414 workers. Production includes both mechanical and electronic watches, clocks, watch cases, dials, metal watch bands, assembled watch movements and watch straps of various materials.
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