XN000022-1981-06-17 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1981

5-

HONG KONG/CANADA TEXTILE TALKS ADJOURNED

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AFTER ENGAGING IN FIVE DAYS OF FULL AND DETAILED DISCUSSIONS ON THE FUTURE OF THE HONG KONG/CANADA TEXTILE AGREEMENT, WHICH EXPIRES AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED TO ADJOURN THE NEGOTIATIONS UNTIL JULY.

THEY WILL RESUME THE TALKS IN GENEVA, FOLLOWING THE TEXTILE COMMITTEE MEETING WHICH STARTS ON JULY 13.

+AS THE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE NOT YET BEEN CONCLUDED. I AM UNABLE TO DISCLOSE ANY DETAILS AT THIS STAGE, THE COMMISSIONER OF TRADE, MR PETER TSAO SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

APRIL SURVEY OF EMPLOYMENT, PAYROLL AND ORDERS-ON-HAND

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THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY RELEASED THE FOLLOWING ORDERS-ON-HAND STATISTICS FOR APRIL:

INDUSTRY GROUP

ORDERS-ON-HAND

IN TERMS OF MONTHS

APR 1980 MAR 1981 APR 1981

WEARING APPAREL, EXCEPT FOOTWEAR TEXTILES, EXCEPT WEARING APPAREL

5.4

4.7

4.7

2.7

2.5

2.5

PLASTIC PRODUCTS

4.5

4.1

4.0

FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS, EXCEPT

MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

4.3

3.9

3.8

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC MACHINERY,

APPARATUS, APPLIANCES AND SUPPLIES

5.0

5.3

5.2

OTHERS

4.0

3.8

3.8

ALL MANUFACTUR ING

4.5

4.3

4.3

A COMPARISON OF THE ORDER-BOOK POSITION IN APRIL WITH THAT IN MARCH SHOWS A SLIGHT DECLINE IN THE VOLUME OF ORDERS HELD BY MANUFACTURERS REPORTING ON THE MONTHLY PANEL IN INDUSTRIES MANUFACTURING PLASTIC PRODUCTS, METAL PRODUCTS, AND ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS. BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE OVERALL ORDER-BOOK POSITION OF ALL THE MANUFACTURERS REPORTING ON THE MONTHLY PANEL TAKEN AS A WHOLE.

THE ABOVE STATISTICS ARE BASED ON AN UPDATED AND ENLARGED PANEL OF THE 200 LARGEST MANUFACTURING COMPANIES SELECTED BY REFERENCE TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT SIZE IN SEPTEMBER 1979. AS THE PANEL IS NOT A SCIENTIFICALLY DESIGNED SAMPLE. RESULTS OBTAINED WILL BE REPRESENTATIVE ONLY OF THE COMPANIES INCLUDED IN THE PANEL, BUT IT IS HOPED THAT THEY WILL GENERALLY INDICATE THE DIRECTION OF CHANGE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE.

THIS SURVEY