ENG-1958 — Page 25

REVIEW

13

range of Hong Kong products, which have had serious results. In 1957 the Central African Federation made more rigorous its re- quirements regarding country of origin content of certain goods claiming preference on entry into the Federation, so affecting Hong Kong's principal exports to that area. Similar, but so far unsuccess- ful, attempts have been made in the United States and Canada to increase tariff barriers against a number of Hong Kong products. A recent example-the introduction of a quota upon imports of Hong Kong cotton textiles into French West Africa-is dealt with later in this Chapter.

INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

In the light of the charges of unfair competition through low wages and 'sweated labour' it would perhaps be as well to bring the picture of local industry up to date at this stage and fill in more details. The following table shows the increase in the number of industrial undertakings since the end of 1952 and the number of workers employed in them:

Industrial Undertakings

Year

1952

1953

1954

L

1955

1956

1957

1958

Workers

2,088

98,126

2,317

103,596

2,494

115,453

2,925

129,465

3,319

146,877

3,373

153,033

4,906

179,997

These figures refer only to those industrial undertakings which for statutory or other reasons have come within the ambit of the Labour Inspectorate of the Labour Department.

The above is, however, far from the complete picture of in- dustrial employment. It is estimated that there are over 150,000 persons working in unregistrable, small-scale and cottage and handicraft industries, as outworkers, and in the under-employed industrial fringe. A further 120,000 are employed in building and engineering construction, 64,200 in the fishing industry, and 21,000 in public transport undertakings.