XN000022-1986-02-20 — Page 9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1986

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN PRODUCTION OVER THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1984 OCCURRED IN THE MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES CATEGORY. THE PRODUCTION INDEX FOR THE MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES AS A WHOLE DROPPED BY 37.2 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1984, WITH A DRASTIC DROP I THE DEMAND FOR PRECIOUS STONES, JEWELLERY AND FABRIC FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE FROM OVERSEAS MARKETS MORE THAN OFFSETTING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PRODUCTION OF IMITATION JEWELLERY.

COMPARING THE THIRD QUARTER WITH THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1985, AND BEARING IN MIND THAT SUCH COMPARISON MAY BE AFFECTED BY SEASONAL FACTORS, MOST INDUSTRIES RECORDED INCREASES IN PRODUCTION. THESE INCLUDED BEVERAGES (+19.3 PER CENT), PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT, PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OPTICAL GOODS, WATCHES AND CLOCKS (+15.5 PER CENT), PLASTIC PRODUCTS (+14.7 PER CENT), PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS (+13.3 PER CENT), AND TEXTILES (+10.6 PER CENT).

A FEW INDUSTRIES REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DECLINES IN PRODUCTION OVER THE PRECEDING QUARTER. THEY WERE RUBBER PRODUCTS (-19.2 PER CENT), CONSUMER ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS (-9.8 PER CENT), AND NON-ELECTRICAL MACHINERY (-7.3 PER CENT).

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THE CONSUMER ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS INDUSTRY HAS PARTICULARLY AFFECTED BY DECLINES IN ORDERS FROM THE UNITED STATES, EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND CHINA. COMMODITIES THAT RECORDED SIGNIFICANT DECLINES IN PRODUCTION IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 1985 OVER THE SAME QUARTER OF 1984 AS WELL AS OVER THE PRECEDING QUARTER INCLUDED PORTABLE CASSETTE RECORDERS, DIGITAL CLOCK RADIOS AND ELECTRONIC POCKET CALCULATORS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IS 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.

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND IN THE +REPORT ON THE QUARTERLY INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION, THIRD QUARTER 1935+.

THE PUBLICATION IS ON SALE AT $3 A COPY AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATION 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, TELEPHONE NUMBER 3-7224504.

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