(excluding mortgagees) rose by 15,074 over the previous year to the impressive total of 176,796.
Companies, Trade Marks and Patents
9. The rapid expansion of business activity had its effect on the Companies Registry, where the year saw many records broken. 2,812 new companies were incorporated during the year, 944 more than last year's record total. The aggregate of all capitals was up, too, to a new record figure of $1,599m., $974m. more than in 1968-69. The most notable changes in numbers according to business are listed in para- graph 69, and include striking increases of 275 to 771 in the number of importers and exporters, of 223 to 340 in land investment, of 103 to 171 in financiers and capitalists, of 48 to 114 in engineering and of 47 to 115 in plastic manufacturers. The only businesses in which there were decreases were restaurants and night-clubs, down 32 to 55, in- surance, down 4 to 8 and shipbuilders, down 1 to 9. 336 companies were dissolved, including 216 struck off the Register under Section 291 of the Companies Ordinance, leaving 15,848 companies on the Register at the end of the year. The number of companies incorporated outside the Colony which have established a place of business here rose by 46 to 655, including 172 companies incorporated in the United States, 94 in the United Kingdom, and 66 in Japan. With the vast amount of trade conducted in and from Hong Kong, there is also a vast amount of insurance business done, and there are as many as 207 companies conducting the regulated classes of business, including 64 United Kingdom companies, 54 Hong Kong companies and 32 United States companies.
10. The effect of increased business activity was also noted in the Trade Marks Registry, where the total number of applications for registration of trade marks was at 2,750 the highest yearly total ever recorded, exceeding by 401 the 1968-69 record figure. Hong Kong led with 437 applications, followed by the United States with 389 and Japan with 203. 1,520 marks were registered and 1,116 renewed, bring- ing the total on the register up to 23,973. A record total of 540 patents was registered during the year. The United States was in the lead with 308, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, West Germany and Japan following with 67, 55, 47 and 22 respectively.
Bankruptcies and Liquidations
11. Ten receiving orders, one administration order and thirteen winding-up orders were made during the year, the latter being nine
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