XN000022-1995-03-20 — Page 3

- 2 -

Value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand in January 1995

The value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand for local production in January this year increased by 6% over a year earlier, according to the provisional results of a monthly survey released today (Monday) by the Census and Statistics Department.

Comparing January 1995 with January 1994, a significant increase in the value of outstanding orders was recorded in the electronic products industry (+32%). Small increases in orders were also recorded in the wearing apparel industry (+3%) and the plastic products industry (+2%).

On the other hand, significant decreases in orders were registered in the fabricated metal products industry (-26%) and the textiles industry (-14%). Decreases in orders were also recorded in the electrical products industry (-8%) and the printing and publishing industry (-7%).

Compared with December 1994, and bearing in mind that this comparison may be affected by seasonal factors, the value of manufacturers' orders-on-hand in January 1995 increased by 9%.

The monthly survey of orders-on-hand covers a sample of some 300 manufacturing firms engaging 50 or more workers.

Manufacturers' orders-on-hand refer to orders and parts of orders received earlier by manufacturers for local production that remain unfilled as at the end of the reference month.

Orders received by traders not engaged in production are included if such orders are further placed to manufacturers for production locally.

However, orders placed to manufacturing firms for production in China and other places outside Hong Kong are not included in this series of orders-on-hand statistics.

A spokesman for the department pointed out that caution should be exercised in interpreting the manufacturers' orders-on-hand figures in a single month.

Instead, the trend movement of the series as displayed over a wider span of time points should be looked at, he said.