XN000022-1991-11-11 — Page 12

11

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1991

EXPORTS

LAST YEAR THE VALUE OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL EXPORTS OF OPTICAL GOODS ROSE BY SEVEN PER CENT ΤΟ $2.2 BILLION. DOMESTIC ACCOUNTED FOR $995 MILLION, OR JUST UNDER HALF OF THIS FIGURE.

IN THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, THE INDUSTRY'S TOTAL EXPORTS AMOUNTED TO $1.6 BILLION. SIXTY-THREE PER CENT OF THIS WAS MADE UP OF RE-EXPORTS, WITH MOST ORIGINATING IN CHINA FROM ENTERPRISES WORKING FOR HONG KONG COMPANIES.

MR BARMA SAID WHILE THE U.S. WAS STILL HONG KONG'S LARGEST MARKET FOR OPTICAL GOODS, HE WAS PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THE INDUSTRY WAS VIGOROUSLY MOVING INTO NEW MARKETS.

"DOMESTIC EXPORTS TO GERMANY

AND IRELAND, FOR EXAMPLE,. AND

帽

TAIWAN AND MALAYSIA, ARE GROWING FAST, HE SAID,

MR BARMA SAID HONG KONG OPTICAL

MANUFACTURERS WERE ALSO

EXPANDING THEIR PRODUCT LINES.

"THE TERRITORY'S MAIN STRENGTH IS STILL IN THE PRODUCTION MIDDLE RANGE PLASTIC FRAMES, EITHER HAND-MADE OR INJECTION MOULDED.

OF

AND

"HOWEVER, LENSES, BINOCULARS, OPTICAL APPLIANCES INSTRUMENTS, REQUIRING GREATER INPUT OF DESIGN AND PRECISION, ARE NOW BEING MADE IN FAR GREATER QUANTITIES THAN BEFORE,' HE SAID.

14

TRADITIONALLY, MR BARMA ADDED, MOST OF HONG KONG'S OPTICAL EXPORTS WERE SOLD UNDER OVERSEAS BUYERS' LABELS OR LOGOS.

"THIS PRACTICE IS CHANGING, AND MANY HONG KONG PRODUCERS ARE NOW DEVELOPING AND MARKETING THEIR OWN BRAND NAMES, AND THEIR PRODUCTS ARE ALREADY SELLING WELL IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

"OTHERS, IN CONTRAST, HAVE TAKEN ON EXCLUSIVE CONTRACTS FOR THE WORLD'S LEADING DESIGNER LABELS.

LICENSING

"BOTH STRATEGIES TESTIFY TO THE HIGH STANDARDS OF DESIGN AND WORKMANSHIP OF WHICH OUR COMPANIES ARE CAPABLE, HE SAID.

ABUNDANT RAIN IN OCTOBER

LONG HOURS OF SUNSHINE AND BELOW-NORMAL HUMIDITY BELIED THE FACT THAT OCTOBER THIS YEAR WAS ACTUALLY A MONTH OF ABUNDANT RAIN.

REPORT THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE MONTHLY WEATHER REPORT ISSUED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY TODAY (MONDAY).

IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST TIME SINCE JANUARY THIS YEAR THAT THE MONTHLY RAINFALL EXCEEDED THE CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMAL.

NEARLY ALL OF OCTOBER'S 294.3 MILLIMETRES OF RAIN FELL WITHIN A FOUR-DAY PERIOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH.

/THE MONTHLY