ENG-1952 — Page 107

PRODUCTION

The Company suffered severely during the occu- pation and half its machinery was removed by the Japanese. Since 1945, this equipment has nearly all been replaced from England, and the Company's manufacturing capacity is now back to the pre-war

level.

The manufacture of cement in Hong Kong is an exepensive process, as none of the raw materials are available locally, with the exception of clay and iron ore. Limestone is imported from Indo-China, China and Japan; coal from Japan, China, Indo-China, Indonesia, India; gypsum from America and the Mediterranean, and paper bags from Europe.

The Company's principal market is Hong Kong, but exports are made to Malaya and Borneo and occasionally other neighbouring territories.

Cigarette Manufacture

The Colony has four cigarette factories. Of these, the factories of the British-American Tobacco Company (Hong Kong) Ltd., the largest, and Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Company Ltd. have been established for more than twenty years. The Hong Kong Tobacco Company Ltd. and the London Tobacco Company Ltd. were established after the war. The industry employs over 1,250 persons and operates modern machinery which produces cigarettes of all qualities at competitive prices. A large part of the wrapping material used in the manufacture is printed in Hong Kong, providing work for the Colony's several modern colour-printing works and, here again, a very high standard has been reached. The tobacco and cigarette industry is of considerable importance to the Colony.

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