ENG-2015 — Page 117

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Commerce and Industry

Domestic Exports

Jewellery, goldsmiths' and silversmiths' wares, and other articles of precious or semi-precious materials formed the largest component of domestic exports, valued at $6.9 billion, or 14.7 per cent of the total value of domestic exports in 2015. Other major export items included plastics in primary and non-primary forms; tobacco manufactured; and machinery specialised for particular industries.

The Mainland, the US and Singapore were Hong Kong's largest markets during the year, absorbing 43.6 per cent, 8.3 per cent and 4.8 per cent respectively of the total value of domestic exports.

Re-exports

In 2015, electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof worth $1,138.9 billion were the principal commodities re-exported, accounting for 32.0 per cent of the total value of re-exports. This was followed by re-exports of telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment, which amounted to $750.2 billion, or 21.1 per cent of the total value of re-exports. The Mainland, Taiwan and Japan were the main origins of the re-exports, while the Mainland, the US and Japan were the main destinations.

Manufacturing

With the relocation and expansion of manufacturing activities offshore since the 1980s, Hong Kong's role has evolved into a command and control centre with an increasingly globalised production network. Domestic manufacturing contributed 1.3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in 2014 and provided employment for 101,700 people in 2015, making up 2.7 per cent of overall employment.

Manufacturers of food products and beverages were the largest employers in the manufacturing sector as at December 2015, followed by employers in the printing and reproduction of recorded media industries. Chart 1 shows the breakdown of employment within the manufacturing sector as at December 2015.

Chart 1

Number of Persons Employed by the Manufacturing Sector as at December 2015

Others 32.3% (31,889)

Food products and beverages

29.1% (28,817)

Rubber and plastics products

(except furniture, toys, sports

goods and stationery)

2.3% (2,296)

Fabricated metal products

(except machinery and equipment)

2.9% (2,885)

Textiles

3.4% (3,386)

Electronics

4% (3,978)

Printing and reproduction

of recorded media

15.5% (15,330)

Pharmaceuticals, medicinal

chemical and botanical products 4,6% (4,525)

Wearing apparel

5.8% (5,773)

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