XN000022-1985-05-18 — Page 8

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1985

BESIDES TOBACCO, INDUSTRIES WITH MARKED INCREASES IN PRODUCTION BETWEEN THE THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTERS OF 1984 WERE RUBBER PRODUCTS (+22.4 PER CENT), NON-METALLIC MINERAL PRODUCTS (+13.2 PER CENT), CONSUMER ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS (+12.5 PER CENT), AND NON-ELECTRICAL MACHINERY (+11.8 PER CENT).

MARKED DECREASES WERE RECORDED IN THE PRODUCTION OF BEVERAGE (-29.7 PER CENT), FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS (-24.3 PER CENT) PLASTIC PRODUCTS (-16 PER CENT) AND PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS (-10.2 PER CENT) OVER THE SAME PERIOD.

THE LOWER SEASONAL DEMAND FOR BEER AND AERATED WATER IN WINTER AFFECTED THE BEVERAGE INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS THE PRODUCTION OF METAL CANS IN THE FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY.

THE ANNUAL INDEX FOR THE WHOLE MANUFACTURING SECTOR IN 1984 STOOD AT 132, 18 POINTS OR 15.9 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THAT IN 1983. SIGNIFICANT INCREASES WERE NOTED FOR TOBACCO (+44.7 PER CENT), FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS (+44 PER CENT), PLASTIC PRODUCTS (+43.7 PER CENT), TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT (+35.2 PER CENT), CONSUMER ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS (+32.6 PER CENT), AND PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS (+31.6 PER CENT).

SEVERAL INDUSTRIES, HOWEVER, RECORDED DECREASES IN 1984 OVER 1983: PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT (-12.7 PER CENT), NON-ELECTRICAL MACHINERY (-12.5 PER CENT), BASIC METALS (-10.6 PËR CENT) AND NON-METALLIC MINERAL PRODUCTS (-10.6 PER CENT).

IN RELEASING THESE FIGURES, A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IF PRIMARILY INTENDED TO REFLECT THE LEVELS AND TRENDS OF OUTPUT IN REAL TERMS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE VOLUME OF PRODUCTION IS MEASURED AFTER REMOVING THE EFFECTS OF PRICE CHANGES.

TWO TABLES ON THE QUARTERLY INDEXES OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1984 WILL BE SENT BY FACSIMILE NETWORK AND BOXED SEPARATELY. ONE IS A SUMMARY TABLE FOR BROAD INDUSTRY GROUPS, WHILE THE OTHER GIVES MORE DETAILED INDUSTRY BREAKDOWNS.

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE +REPORT ON THE QUARTERLY INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION, FOURTH QUARTER 1984+.

ON SALE AT $2 A COPY THE PUBLICATION CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE AT THE GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, OR AT THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT PUBLICATION SALES COUNTER, KAI TAK COMMERCIAL BUILDING, 317 DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL, REGULAR SUBSCRIPTION MAY ALSO BE ARRANGED.

FURTHER ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE SURVEY MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH SECTION OF THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT AT TELEPHONE NUMBER 3-7224504.

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