工商業管理處年報 Commerce and Industry Department Annaul Report 1957-1958

HONG KONG

Library Copy No. 376

Date 6 OLD 1958

000

Library Book No.351.06

ANNUAL

DEPARTMENTAL

REPORTS

1957-58

HKS ств

PRICE: $3

DIRECTOR OF

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

#2149833

Library Book No.351.06

HONG KONG

ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL REPORT

BY THE

DIRECTOR OF

COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

FOR THE

FINANCIAL YEAR 1957 - 58

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY W. F. C. JENNER, GOVERNMENT PRINTER

AT THE GOVERNMENT PRESS, JAVA ROAD, HONG KONG

ол

MARINE DEPARTMENT LIBRARY

EXCHANGE RATES

Where dollars are quoted in this Report, they are Hong Kong dollars. The official rate for conversion to pound sterling is HK$16=£1 (HK$1=1s. 3d.). The official rate for conversion to US dollars is HK$5.714= US$1 (based on £1=US$2.80) but a more realistic, though approximate, rate based on the local fluctuating open market would be nearer HK$5.90=US$1.

Chapter I and Tables 1-5 relate to the calendar year, 1957. The remainder of the report relates to the financial year 1957/58.

Chapter

CONTENTS

Paragraphs

I. THE COLONY'S TRADE, 1957

General

Exports of Products Wholly or Principally of

Hong Kong Origin

II. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

General

Industrial Sites

Proposed Federation of Industries

III. GENERAL Review of DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES

General

Industry

1 - 16

17 - 23

28 - 30

31 32

33 - 35

Trade Promotion and Overseas Developments

affecting Trade

Certification of Hong Kong Products

Dutiable Commodities

Trade Licensing

The Preventive Service

Supplies

Statistics

Accounts and Stores

Staff and Welfare

Revenue

Expenditure

Public Relations

36 - 38

39 42

43. 44

45 - 46

48 - 50

52 - 54

56 - 57

58 - 60

IV. TRADE AND INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

62 - 63

64 - 67

Chapter

TRADE PROMOTION

Local Exhibitions

Overseas Trade Fairs

Trade Fairs in 1958/59

Paragraphs

69 - 76

Display Cabinets on Royal Interocean Line Ships

Trade Publications

Departmental Reference Library

Miscellaneous

VI. CERTIFICATION OF HONG KONG PRODUCTS

General

Inspection and Registration of Factories for

issue of Certificates

Standard Certificates of Origin

79 - 85

87 - 90

91 - 92

94 - 95

Imperial Preference Certificates

96 - 101

Comprehensive Certificates of Origin

102 - 106

Miscellaneous Certificates

107 - 108

Statistics and Enforcement

VII. OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING HONG

KONG'S TRADE

United Kingdom

109 111

112 118

119

120 - 121

122

123 124

Canada

Union of South Africa

Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

Federal Republic of Germany

North Borneo

Morocco

France and French Overseas Territories

The Treaty of Rome and the General Agreement

on Tariffs and Trade

European Free Trade Area

125

126

127 - 128

129

130

•

New Zealand

131

Indonesia

132

Relations with Overseas Customs Authorities

133

•

General

134

Chapter

VIII. DUTIABLE COMMODITIES

Revenue from Duties

Revenue from Licences

IX. STATISTICS

Trade Statistics

Statistics of Trade by Parcel Post

Mechanization

Retail Price Index

Assistance to other departments

X. TRADE CONTROLS

Import Licensing

Export Licensing

XI. THE PREventive SERVICE

General

Re-organization

Discipline

Searches

•

Dutiable Commodities

Narcotics

Strategic Commodities Certificates of Origin Dangerous Goods

Merchandize Marks Bullion

Court Actions

XII. RESERVED COMMODITIES AND GOVERNMENT

SUPPLIES

Rice

Frozen Meat

Coal

Firewood

Foodstuffs

Accounts

iii

Paragraphs

135141

142

143 144

145 - 149

150 - 151

152

153 - 156

157 - 159

160 163

164

165 - 166

167

168

169 - 170

171 - 172

173

174

175

176

177 178

179

180 - 182

183 - 185

186 - 188

189 - 191

192

193

Chapter

XIII. THE LONDON OFFICE

Paragraphs

Imperial Preference

194 - 195

Trade Fairs

196 - 199

Commercial Relations

200 - 202

Public Relations

203 - 206

Miscellaneous

207 - 212

XIV. THE TOKYO OFFICE

General

Trade with Japan Trade Promotion

Trade Fairs

Conferences

Visits

Tourism

Publications

Procurement

Immigration Facilities

Other Activities

Staff

XV. LEGISLATION

XVI. DEPARTMENTAL WELFARE

213 - 214

215 - 216

217

218

219 - 220

221

222

223

224

225 - 228

229 - 230

231

232 - 237

General

238

Housing of local officers

239 - 241

Amenities in Departmental Quarters

242

Education

243

Canteens

244 - 245

Revenue Inspectors' Mess

246 - 251

Leave

252 - 254

Promotion Prospects for Class V Officers Sports and Recreation

255

256 - 258

XVII. STAFF

General

Staff Changes

259 - 260

261 - 266

Table

LIST OF TABLES

Total Values of Imports into and Exports from Hong Kong, by Countries, 1956 and 1957 .

Total Values of Imports into and Exports from Hong Kong, by Commodities, 1956 and 1957

Page

(Ch. I)

(Ch. I) 59

Total Values of Exports of Products Wholly or Principally of Hong Kong Origin, by Countries, 1956 and 1957

(Ch. I) 63

Total Values of Exports of Products Wholly or Principally of Hong Kong Origin, by Com- modities, 1956 and 1957

(Ch. I) 65

Volume of Exports of Selected Products Wholly or Principally of Hong Kong Origin, 1956 and 1957

(Ch. I)

Organization of the Department of Commerce

and Industry

(Ch. III)

Certification of Hong Kong Products

(Ch. VI)

Net Revenue Collected from all Sources

(Ch. III)

Duty from Dutiable Commodities (Gross)

(Ch. VIII)

10.

Revenue from Dutiable Commodities

Licences

(Ch. VIII) 71

11.

13.

12.

Confiscations under the Dutiable Commodities

and Dangerous Drugs Ordinances

Major Confiscations under other Legislation.

Distribution of Staff

(Ch. XI)

(Ch. XVII)

2 2 2

. .

I. THE COLONY'S TRADE, 1957

GENERAL

IN 1957 the combined value of Hong Kong's imports and exports of merchandise stood at HK$8,165.7 million, higher by 5% than that for 1956.

2. Exports fell by 6% compared with 1956 to HK$3,016.3 million, due to a decline in the value of purchases by Asian countries, especially Indonesia, Thailand and Japan.

3. Imports rose by 13% to HK$5,149.5 million, the principal in- creases being from the United Kingdom, the United States and China.

4. The total values of imports and exports by countries and by commodities during 1957, with comparative figures for 1956, are given in detail in tables 1 and 2.

5. The volume figures, in terms of total trade, were 6,653,088 tons in 1955 and 6,880,885 in 1957.

6. The principal destinations of exports and sources of imports are shown below in order of importance by value and compared with figures for the same countries in 1956.

Exports

Imports

Country

1956

$ million

1957

$ million

Country

1956

$ million

1957 $ million

Malaya

373

China

1,038

1,131

United Kingdom

298

337

Japan

811

763

Indonesia

501

312

United Kingdom

513

667

Japan

318

228

U. S. A.

424

539

U. S. A.

117

198

Switzerland

132

193

Thailand China

320

188

Thailand

185

192

136

123

Germany (Western)..

119

159

Indonesia

126

Belgium

109

118

Australia

100

113

Malaya

152

102

7. The principal imports during the year were textile yarn, fabrics and made-up goods, $941 million; base metals, $332 million; textile fibres, $309 million; cereals and cereal preparations, $288 million;

•

scientific and controlling instruments, photographic and optical goods, watches and clocks, $238 million; fruits and vegetables, $233 million; mineral fuels and related materials, $213 million; inedible animal and vegetable crude materials, $181 million; live animals, chiefly for food, $179 million; non-electrical machinery, $178 million; and paper and paper manufactures, $130 million.

8. The principal exports were: textile yarn, fabrics and made-up goods, $752 million; clothing, $439 million; miscellaneous manufactured articles n.e.s., $183 million; manufactures of metals, $123 million; fruits and vegetables, $119 million; inedible vegetables and animal crude materials, $115 million; base metals, $107 million; ores and metal scrap, $90 million; medicinal and pharmaceutical products, $82 million; footwear, $74 million.

9. China. China supplied imports valued at $1,131.1 million which represented 22% of total imports, and was $92.8 million higher than in 1956. China supplies 45% - 50% of the Colony's imports of food- stuffs, and the increase over 1956 was partly accounted for by larger imports of fruits and vegetables, dairy products, cereals and cereal preparations; imports of non-metallic mineral manufactures (e.g. articles of fine earthenware, chinaware and porcelain) and textile yarn and piecegoods also increased. Exports to China have again fallen and at $123.4 million reached the lowest level since 1951. Exports of manu- factured fertilizers fell from $36 million in 1956 to $7.8 million in 1957.

10. Japan. Although Japan was the second most important source of imports, and the fourth most valuable market in 1956, the value of trade declined considerably in 1957. Imports at $763 million fell by $47.2 million compared with the previous year and textile yarn and piecegoods, base metals, and non-metallic mineral manufactures all recorded lower values. Exports to Japan were valued at $228 million, a fall of $89.7 million compared with 1956. The chief exports were metalliferous ores and metal scrap at $88 million (of which $4 million represented locally mined iron ore), textile fibres, oil seeds and oil nuts, fruits and vegetables and inedible animal and vegetable crude materials.

11. United Kingdom. Both imports from and exports to the United Kingdom rose in value in 1957; imports by $153.9 million to $667 million and exports by $38.4 million to $337 million. Imports consisted chiefly of base metals ($102 million), textile yarn, fabrics and made-up articles ($101 million), transport equipment and machinery; while exports of textile yarn, fabrics and made-up articles ($130 million)

MARINE DEPAK,MENT LIBRA

together with clothing ($93 million) accounted for two-thirds of the value of all exports to the United Kingdom.

12. United States. Increases in value on both sides of the account were also recorded in trade with the United States. Imports increased by $115 million compared with 1956 to $539 million, and exports by $82 million to $198 million. The most important imports were textile fibres, textile yarn, fabrics and made-up articles, tobacco and tobacco manu- factures, and metal scrap. Fifty per cent of the increase in exports was accounted for by clothing which was valued at $66 million; other important items of export were miscellaneous manufactured articles (toys, games and basket ware) and furniture and fixtures. The value of goods covered by Comprehensive Certificates of Origin rose from $65 million in 1956 to $127 million in 1957.

13. Malaya (including Singapore). Malaya regained first position on the Colony's export list, but the value of exports, at $373 million, remained the same as in 1956. The most important items exported were fruits and vegetables, followed by clothing and miscellaneous manu- factured articles. Imports from Malaya were worth $102 million, nearly one-third of which consisted of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials.

14. Indonesia. Although Indonesia took exports to the value of $312 million and was the Colony's third most important customer, this figure represented a fall of $189 million compared with 1956. Exports of textile yarn and piece goods were recorded at $225 million but were down by $92 million compared with 1956, while decreases were also shown for clothing, non-electrical machinery and non-metallic mineral manu- factures. The second most important export in 1957 was base metals at $40 million. Imports from Indonesia rose by $67.4 million, compared with 1956, to $126 million, the increase being almost entirely due to heavier purchases of mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials.

15. Thailand. Exports to Thailand fell in value by $131 million compared with 1956, due mainly to decreased purchases of textile yarn and piece goods and base metals. Exports in 1957 were valued at $188 million, a third of which was accounted for by textile yarn and piece goods while manufactures of metals, clothing, medicinal and pharmaceutical products, and base metals were next in importance. Imports, were valued at $192 million of which rice accounted for $136 million.

16. Switzerland. In 1957 Switzerland came into fifth place on the import list with an increase of $61.4 million over 1956 to a total of $193 million. This increase came mainly under the heading of scientific instruments (including photographic and optical goods, watches and clocks) which accounted for an increase of $49 million.

EXPORTS OF PRODUCTS WHOLLY OR PRINCIPALLY OF HONG KONG ORIGIN

17. The value of exports of the limited range of local products which are at present classified separately in the Trade Statistics as of Hong Kong origin does not give a true picture of the importance of local manufactures entering into international trade. An analysis of export declarations has shown that normally 90% of the value of the following commodity items is accounted for by manufactures of local origin, and these items have therefore, since January 1958, been added to the 'separately classified' list and taken into account in evaluating domestic exports as distinct from re-exports.

Item No.

055-021

Description

Ginger, preserved in syrup, in airtight containers.

055-022 Ginger, preserved (dry), in airtight containers.

055-032 Ginger, preserved in syrup, not in airtight containers.

055-033 Ginger, preserved (dry), not in airtight containers.

665-012

821-010 821-091

Vacuum flasks (glass inners only).

Wood furniture and fixtures.

Furniture of vegetable plaiting materials (bamboo, straw, willow, etc.). 831-010 Travel goods (trunks, suitcases, travelling bags, dressing cases, shop- ping bags, haversacks, packs and similar articles) of all materials. 831-020 Handbags, wallets, purses and similar articles of all materials. 841-010 Stockings and hose. 841-023

Underwear and nightwear, knit or made of knitted fabrics (except

cotton singlets and shirts).

841-030 Outerwear, knit or made of knitted fabrics.

841-055

841-070

Outerwear, other than knitted, not embroidered, n.e.s.

Clothing of rubberized, oiled and similar impermeable materials

(including plastics).

841-120 851-010

899-030

Gloves and mittens of all materials (except rubber gloves). Slippers and house footwear of all materials except rubber. Umbrellas, parasols, walking sticks, and similar articles.

899-050

899-120

Buttons and studs of all materials except those of precious metals. Articles of basketware or of wickerwork, n.e.s.

899-150 Toys and games (including baby carriages, playing cards).

18. The value of exports of Hong Kong products (as newly defined) was $1,202 million in 1957 compared with $1,115 million in 1956—an

increase of 8% and representing 40% of total exports. An analysis of these figures is given in tables 3 and 4, while table 5 gives an indication of the volume of some of the principal exports of local products.

19. The most important items by value were:

cotton piecegoods; outerwear, other than knitted, not embroider- ed; cotton yarns; shirts; footwear; enamelled household utensils; gloves and mittens of all materials (except rubber gloves); and toys and games (including baby carriages and playing cards). 20. The principal markets for the Colony's products in 1957 are listed in the table below in order of importance by value:

1956 $ million

1957

$ million

United Kingdom

255

281

U. S. A.

Malaya

Indonesia

133

110

133

Thailand

Philippines

French Equatorial and West Africa

South Africa

Australia

Nigeria

British East Africa

Laos

Canada

Africa, n.e.s.

Germany (Western)

Central America, n.e.s.

* Not available due to change of classification in 1957.

21. The United Kingdom remained the most important single market for Hong Kong products taking 23%, while the British Commonwealth, as a whole, took 52%. Exports to the U.S.A. increased by 89% over 1956 which was largely accounted for by clothing.

22. Hong Kong has also expanded her markets in Africa, Central America, and Western Germany competing, as in all markets (including her own), with the textile industries of Japan and India.

23. Although Malaya, Indonesia, and Thailand occupied third, fourth and fifth positions respectively, yet compared with 1956 they recorded a total fall in exports from Hong Kong of $82 million.

II. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

GENERAL

24. During the year industry continued to expand with emphasis on improvements in quality, design and production techniques to offset increasing competition in overseas markets and to fulfil new demands for Hong Kong products. No outstanding or entirely new products made their appearance but the scope, range and variety of products of exist- ing industries were extended. A notable feature was the number of manufacturers who moved into new factories or made structural altera- tions and improvements in existing premises.

25. The total number of factories registered and recorded by the Labour Department increased by 475 to 3,765 during the year ended 31st March 1958 and employment in those undertakings rose by over 28,500 to 167,609 over the same period. Principal increases in numbers of factories took place in the weaving, knitting and garment making sections of the textile industry and among the metalware and plastic- ware manufactories.

26. Cotton spinning and weaving continued as the most important industries by value of exports. Twenty three thousand spindles and 2,500 looms were added during the year. Heavy industries were active and shipyards consistently busy on both new construction and repair work. The building of yachts, native type vessels and other pleasure craft for export to the United States showed considerable increase. Air- craft servicing and repairs contributed to the Colony's invisible exports and the building industry continued to boom.

27. The department continued to act in an advisory capacity on industrial development and as liaison between industrialists, representa- tive organizations and other Government departments. Many inquiries were dealt with, and advice was given to overseas organizations and persons interested in setting up manufactories in the Colony.

INDUSTRIAL SITES

28. Experience at auctions of industrial sites at Kwun Tong Reclamation area showed that the practice of selling sites with user restricted to specific industrial groups had created practical difficulties and anomalies and tended to inhibit sales. In May 1957 on the recommendation of the Kwun Tong Advisory Committee, sales of in- dustrial sites at Kwun Tong were opened to general industrial use and

the industrial groupings discarded. During the year, in addition to the sale of twenty seven industrial sites varying in size between 8,000 and 178,830 sq. ft., two sites of 28,000 and 25,000 sq. ft. were sold for the erection of flatted factories to accommodate smaller and ancillary industries. The sale of sites for housing at Kwun Tong commenced in November 1957. Since sales began in September 1956, and up to the end of March 1958, seventy seven sites aggregating some 1,657,000 sq. ft. have been sold for industrial purposes, two sites totalling 53,000 sq. ft. for the erection of flatted factories, three sites totalling 15,700 sq. ft. for housing purposes and one site of 4,000 sq. ft. for a filling station.

29. The upset price for industrial sites is $5.00 per square foot and realized prices during the year under review varied between $10.25 and $28.75. The three housing sites at an upset price of $16.00 per square foot realized $34.14, $26.37 and $23.02 per square foot respectively. Several purchasers of industrial sites in Kwun Tong have taken advantage of the concessionary terms available to them for grants of land by private treaty sale for the erection of workers' housing.

30. A number of factory buildings were completed at Kwun Tong by the end of March 1958, and the area is now developing rapidly.

PROPOSED FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIES

31. At the opening of the Fifteenth Exhibition of Hong Kong Products sponsored by the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, Sir Alexander Grantham proposed the formation of a Federation of Hong Kong Industries to which all industries could belong, irrespective of size, ownership and of the language in which their business was done. This suggestion met with an immediate and favourable response and, in January 1958, the following committee was appointed by the Officer Administering Government:

The Director of Commerce and Industry (Chairman)

Col. J. D. Clague, C.B.E., M.C., and Messrs. W. C. Gomersall, L. Kadoorie, Y. K. Kan, Daniel H. Lam, Paul Lau, P. Y. Tang, U Tat Chee, O.B.E. and Haking Wong.

Two officers of the Department of Commerce and Industry were appointed to be joint secretaries. The Terms of Reference of the Committee are:

(1) To consider and advise Government what form of organized

representation of the Colony's manufacturing industries should be created or evolved in the best trading interests of the Colony.

(2) To recommend whether it is desirable for other interests to be associated with such an organization and, if so, to what extent and in what manner...

(3) To make recommendations on the functions and organization of such body as the Committee may recommend should be creat- ed or evolved.

32. The Committee held five meetings before the end of March 1958 but its work was not completed at the end of the financial year.

III. GENERAL REVIEW OF DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES

GENERAL

33. The appointment of a fifth Cadet Officer to the department provided an opportunity to re-group the various branches into three instead of four divisions, each headed by an Assistant Director. These are the Administration, Control and Development Divisions. In the two latter the presence of an additional Cadet Officer afforded consider- able relief to the Assistant Director.

34. It has, in recent years, become increasingly clear that the basic unit in the department is the branch rather than the division, and that constant changes in the nature and relative importance of the duties undertaken by the department call for flexibility in overall organization. Relaxations of trade controls, for example, which are referred to in Chapter X, have brought about a diminution in the volume and com- plexity of the work in the Trade Licensing Branch and have enabled the staff of the branch to be reduced. There has, in recent years, been a similar run-down of the responsibilities of the Supplies Branch. On the other hand, the need for a new approach to the complex problems of the certification of Hong Kong products (see Chapter VI) has been accompanied by an increase in the volume and pressure of work in the Certification Branch which has called for a considerable increase of staff. Marked shifts of emphasis such as these called for an adjustment in the responsibilities allotted to members of the directing staff, which was achieved by the regrouping of branches under the Assistant Directors and Administrative Officers.

35. The alterations to and redecoration of those floors of the Fire Brigade Building occupied by the department, which started towards the end of the previous financial year, were completed during the period under review. A new colour scheme of soft green and pale grey against

MARINE DEPARTMENT_LIBRARY

white walls has made a sombre building seem lighter and Additional ceiling fans and venetian blinds, improved lighting and the replacement of stone tiles by wooden floors and similar improvements have made for more comfortable working conditions.

INDUSTRY

36. The staffing position and the need to expand the Certification Branch has continued to limit the time and effort which could be devoted to assisting the development of industry. Such assistance as it has been possible to afford is referred to in Chapter II.

37. The department continued to advise on the allocation of official U.S. dollar exchange for the purchase of a limited range of industrial raw materials and essential supplies.

38. During the year arrangements were made for visits to nine factories by the previous and present Governors.

TRADE PROMOTION AND OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING TRADE

39. Increasing attention has been paid throughout the year to developments overseas which are likely to affect the Colony's trade. In appropriate cases the department initiated counter-action against measures by other territories which would hamper Hong Kong's trade and endeavoured to keep commercial and industrial associations informed of such developments. The Trade and Industry Advisory Committee was regularly consulted on such matters, and the assistance of the Colonial Secretariat or Colonial Office was sought in some instances. The more important examples of this aspect of departmental activities are described in Chapter VII.

40. The Trade Development Branch, in conjunction with the London Office, was responsible for organizing the Colony's exhibits at trade fairs in New York and Frankfurt. Details will be found in Chapters V and XIII. The London and Tokyo Offices worked in close liaison with the department on a wide range of topics.

41. The 1957 edition of the Commerce, Industry and Finance Directory was published early in the financial year, and work began immediately thereafter on the preparation of a revised edition for 1958. The Trade Bulletin continued to appear monthly, and a number of improvements were made in the style and presentation of the articles and other information which it contains.

42. The alterations to and redecoration of the department referred to in paragraph 35 made it possible to open a small library of reference books in which a display of Hong Kong products is also housed. Members of the public made increasing use of the library throughout the year.

CERTIFICATION OF HONG KONG PRODUCTS

43. Throughout the year under review there has been emphasis on re-organization of departmental requirements and procedures for the issue of certificates of Hong Kong origin and imperial preference certi- ficates. The work of this branch has expanded rapidly over the past few years due to the continued development of industries in the Colony and to the tendency of overseas customs to insist on the department's certification in support of normal commercial documents of origin for Hong Kong products imported into their territories. With the increase in exports of locally produced goods the benefits of imperial preference have also become increasingly important to local manufacturers and merchants.

44. Re-organization was directed towards handling a greatly increased volume of work while imposing the minimum inconvenience and restriction on the industrial and mercantile community compatible with the maintenance of the reliability of the department's certificates. These activities are described in greater detail in Chapter VI.

DUTIABLE COMMODITIES

45. Revenue from duties continued buoyant, the return from every type of duty being the highest ever attained.

46. Arrangements were completed for the introduction on 1st April, 1958 of a mechanized system of licensing and accounting.

TRADE LICENSING

47. Relaxations in trade controls have already been referred to in paragraph 34 above. As indicated in Chapter X, these comprised, in the main, an easing of the embargo on the export of certain types of strategic goods to China, and the removal of controls on imports of goods from Japan.

THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE

48. The activities of the Preventive Service are outlined in Chapter XI. The number of officers in the junior ranks again remained

well below the approved establishment. Towards the end of the financial year, approval was obtained for a re-organization of the service designed to ensure that all vacancies would in future be filled.

49. In spite of handicaps arising from the shortage of staff, a number of notable successes were achieved, and the steady improvement in efficiency and morale which have been noted in recent years was maintained.

50. Particular attention has been paid to the traffic in narcotics in collaboration with the Police Narcotics Bureau. A number of notable seizures were made including one of 47.5 lbs. of morphine hydrochloride and another of 1,076 lbs. of raw opium.

SUPPLIES

51. The Supplies Branch continued to maintain records of commercial stocks of rice, frozen meat, coal, firewood and certain essential foodstuffs. No changes occurred in rice import policy, but control over the import of frozen meat was removed apart from the registration of importers with the department and the requirement that imports and exports continued to be licensed. A buffer stock of firewood was maintained. The activities of this branch are outlined in Chapter XII.

STATISTICS

52. Since January 1958 two improvements have been made in the presentation of statistics of the Colony's trade.

53. The printed volumes of statistics which are published monthly now contain information on the value of commercial imports and exports by parcel post. The submission of these figures by merchants is on a voluntary basis and it is evident that only a fraction of the trade moving through the postal services is at present being recorded in this way.

54. The departmental monthly reports and the Trade Bulletin contain information on the value of exports of Hong Kong products. Since January 1958, the range of items taken into consideration in compiling the figures has been extended beyond the limited selection of local prod- ucts which are at present classified separately in the Trade Statistics. The result has been to show that each month Hong Kong products represent between 40% and 47% of all exports instead of about 25% or 30% as was supposed. It is believed that a complete separation of domestic exports from re-exports would reveal that the former con- stitute over 50% of the total.

ACCOUNTS AND STORES

55. The storage, documentation and disposal of seized and confiscated goods and of departmental uniforms and other stores has been improved in consultation with the Treasury and Audit Department. The control of expenditure from departmental votes has been strengthened, and steps have been taken to ensure prompt collection of miscellaneous items of revenue and to simplify the payment of staff salaries.

STAFF AND WELFARE

56. Several useful advances were made in the provision of welfare facilities for the staff, which are described in Chapter XVI.

57. Preventive Service standing orders have been in force for some years. Departmental and branch standing orders for all branches other than the Preventive Service were promulgated in January 1958. These contain instructions on the conduct of business within the department, and also amplify the disciplinary provisions in General Orders.

REVENUE

58. Net revenue collected by the department amounted to $110,806,124, an increase of $940,929 over the previous year. If business registration fees collected during 1956/57 are disregarded, collection of these becoming the responsibility of the Inland Revenue Department from 1st April, 1957, the increase in revenue came to $7,356,851.

59. Net revenue from duties alone reached the record figure of $105,722,730, the first year in which this source has produced over $100 million.

60. Details are given in Tables 8 - 10 and in Chapter VIII.

EXPENDITURE

61.

Expenditure from departmental votes amounted to $5,123,381, which was $444,869 under the approved estimate. Personal emoluments accounted for $4,394,773, an increase of $39,903 over the previous financial year.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

62. The department continued to maintain effective liaison with trade commissioners and foreign consular officials in the Colony. Close co- operation was maintained also with chambers of commerce, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association, and other trade and industrial organizations,

particularly through the medium of the Trade and Industry Advisory Committee which met regularly under the chairmanship of the Director. Local merchants and manufacturers consulted the department frequently on a wide variety of topics and the department itself sought the advice and assistance of many individuals during the course of the year. The co-operation of these organizations and individuals is gratefully acknowledged.

63. The department received visits from overseas government officials, trade commissioners, trade fair representatives, and business visitors and arranged factory visits and conferences for them with business leaders in the Colony. Visitors included Mr. F. J. Erroll, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade (in October 1957); a Government trade mission from the Sudan led by Mr. I. O. Ishag, Director of Commerce, Industry and Supplies; Mr. K. B. Lall, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Delhi; Mr. E. E. Baggerly, President of the Guam Chamber of Commerce; Mr. A. P. Wales, Director of the U.S. World Trade Fair, New York (in January 1958); the Rt. Hon. Harold Wilson, P.C., M.P., O.B.E.; Mr. Ernest Thornton, M.P., M.B.E.; Mr. Alvin Roseman, Director of the U.S. Operations Mission to Cambodia (in February); the Rt. Hon. Walter Nash, Prime Minister of New Zealand; Mr. Eugene Melville, C.M.G., Assistant Under Secretary of State for the Colonies; and Sir Frank Lee, K.C.B., C.M.G., Permanent Secretary to the Board of Trade (in March). Visitors from the United Kingdom were interested mainly in Britain's textile problems in relation to imports from Hong Kong.

IV. TRADE AND INDUSTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

64. The Trade and Industry Advisory Committee, which came into being on 1st January, 1954, has the following terms of reference:

'To advise the Director of Commerce and Industry on all matters, other than labour, which affect the Colony's trade and Industry'.

It consists of the Director of Commerce and Industry as Chairman, two members appointed by the Colonial Secretary, and one representa- tive each from the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, and the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong. Members, other than the Chairman, hold office for one calendar year and are eligible for re-appointment. The

Secretary of the department is secretary of the committee. The Chair- man is empowered to co-opt advisers and to appoint sub-committees.

65. During 1957 the committee was constituted as follows:

The Director of Commerce and Industry (Chairman)

The Honourable Dhun Ruttonjee, O.B.E., and

The Honourable Kwok Chan, O.B.E., appointed by the Colonial

Secretary.

Col. J. D. Clague, C.B.E., M.C., representative of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, for the months of April and November-December.

Mr. G. M. Goldsack, representative of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce during Col. Clague's absence on leave from May to October inclusive.

Mr. Allen C. C. Ng, representative of the Chinese General

Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. U Tat Chee, O.B.E., representative of the Chinese Manu-

facturers' Association of Hong Kong.

From January 1958, Mr. G. M. Goldsack replaced Col. Clague as the representative of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.

66. The committee held ten meetings during the period under review. In April 1957 members heard a report by the then Acting Financial Secretary, Mr. J. J. Cowperthwaite, on his visit to London to attend the conference of representatives of Colonial Governments on the pro- posed European Free Trade Area. The committee was consulted on a wide range of subjects which included the publication of the Commerce, Industry and Finance Directory and the Trade Bulletin; participation in trade fairs and exploratory trade missions; the possibility of setting up a permanent display of Hong Kong products overseas; the mechanization of the Statistics Branch of the department and consequential changes in the form of the Colony's trade statistics; the collection of statistics of articles imported or exported by post; action to combat proposals to raise the Canadian tariff against rubber footwear imports and South African tariffs against imports of textiles and enamelware; the campaign by the Lancashire cotton industry to limit textile imports from certain Commonwealth territories including Hong Kong; improvements in the procedure for the issue of certificates of origin; trade malpractices and the payment of rewards to informers; the protection of designs and the prevention of plagiarization of foreign patents and designs; and the

proposal that a Federation of Hong Kong Industries should be established. A number of these topics are discussed elsewhere in the report.

67. Once again the department is indebted to members for devoting so much of their time and attention to the business of the Trade and Industry Advisory Committee. They have been a valued means of liaison with commercial and industrial interests in the Colony, and their wise and helpful advice on a wide variety of topics is gratefully acknowl- edged.

V. TRADE PROMOTION

LOCAL EXHIBITIONS

68. As usual, the department helped the Chinese Manufacturers' Asso- ciation with administrative arrangements for the Fifteenth Exhibition of Hong Kong products, which was inaugurated by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Alexander Grantham, G.C.M.G., on 4th December, 1957, and lasted one month. There being no other site of suitable size avail- able, the Exhibition was held in Kowloon on the same site as the Twelfth Exhibition. Despite the restricted space, the Exhibition was well planned and featured a number of new and improved products.

OVERSEAS TRADE FAIRS

69. The two trade fairs in which Hong Kong participated were the First U.S. World Trade Fair, New York, (14th - 27th April, 1957) and the Frankfurt International Autumn Fair (1st - 5th September, 1957). This was the second successive year that the Colony had exhibited at Frankfurt, but the first occasion on which a Hong Kong exhibit had ever been mounted at an international fair in the eastern part of the United States.

70. New York. The Hong Kong exhibit at New York, covering 1,100 sq. ft., attracted great interest from buyers and the general public, and business inquiries recorded at the stand and numbering about 1,300 covered every type of product displayed. The official delegation, led by Mr. U Tat Chee, O.B.E., included Messrs. E. G. A. Grimwood, Director of the London Office and B. I. Barlow, formerly an Assistant Director of Commerce and Industry. Other delegates were Messrs. Haking Wong, J. B. Kite, Paul Lau, POON Wing Kai and I. J. Law from Hong Kong and Messrs. R. P. Edwards and A. F. Hulse from New York.

71. Participation in the fair was very expensive, the net cost being just over HK$128,000, and its value to Hong Kong's trade and industry is likely to remain imponderable; however, the Colony's delegates were all of the opinion that the effort and expense were worthwhile. Grateful acknowledgement is made to the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation, the staff of whose New York branch co-operated to an outstanding degree.

72. Frankfurt. The return visit to Frankfurt was on a larger scale than in 1957 and the pattern of the exhibit included an innovation in the form of a prestige display featuring eleven different products. After passing through this part of the pavilion, buyers could examine duplicate samples and a range of utilitarian goods in the neighbouring area, which also housed the alcoves rented to Hong Kong firms for the transaction of business. Hong Kong's participation in the fair was considered satisfactory by all concerned. The exhibit covered an area of approximately 5,500 sq. ft. and the net Government expenditure on mounting it came to just over HK$76,000. Seven local firms rented between them a total of ten alcoves. Three hundred trade inquiries were dealt with by the official delegation.

73. The official delegation to the Fair was led by Col. J. D. Clague, C.B.E., M.C. and included Messrs. E. G. A. Grimwood, Director of the London Office, T. D. Sorby, Assistant Director of Commerce and Industry, and Li Fook Kow, an Administrative Officer in the Hong Kong Government. Other delegates were Messrs. J. H. Hamm, G. C. Moutrie and D. W. Leach.

74. In the last two years, and particularly in the first quarter of 1958, the Colony's trade with Western Germany and Scandanavia, especially in the export of domestic products, has increased considerably and it would seem justifiable to attribute the improvement in part to interest aroused at the two displays mounted at Frankfurt.

75. The department's leaflet, prepared for distribution to the public at trade fairs and giving an impression by word and picture of the Colony's industry and tourist attractions, was translated into German with the assistance of the German Consulate-General in Hong Kong for use at Frankfurt.

76. The part played by the London Office in organizing the Colony's exhibit at these two fairs is described in Chapter XIII.

ཀ་

TRADE FAIRS IN 1958/59

77. The department made inquiries through correspondence and personal discussions with visiting representatives to ascertain the potential value to local firms of independent participation in overseas trade fairs scheduled for 1958, and gave assistance to those who decided to exhibit at Seattle. Initial steps were also taken to pave the way for Hong Kong's participation in the Melbourne International Trade Fair early in 1959.

DISPLAY CABINETS ON ROYAL INTEROCEAN LINE SHIPS

78. In May 1957 the showcases on the m.vs. 'Ruys' and 'Tegelberg' were lent to the Hong Kong Exporters' Association for the use of their members. The response was disappointing, however, and in February 1958 an offer was made to the Hong Kong Tourist Association, which readily accepted the use of them for advertising the tourist attractions of Hong Kong.

TRADE PUBLICATIONS

79. The Commerce, Industry and Finance Directory. Approximately 17,000 copies of the 1957 edition of the Commerce, Industry and Finance Directory were distributed free of charge to airlines, shipping companies and to a very large number of overseas firms and trade associations; just under 3,000 copies were sold locally.

80. Compilation of the text and classified section for the 1958 edition, the selection of photographs and cover, and the examination of artwork for all advertisements were completed by the end of the year under review for publication early in May 1958.

81. The text, which includes twenty nine tables, runs to 116 pages, the last part consisting of a classified section of Hong Kong products with lists of firms dealing in them. Despite the despatch of over 800 letters to selected firms, individually signed and addressed, the response to invitations to advertise in the classified section was much less than had been expected in a Directory with an assured overseas circulation of about 17,000 copies. Securing suitable photographs proved an un- expectedly difficult and time-consuming task, but the results were rewarding. The Directory is illustrated by twelve pages of multi-coloured and twenty four pages of black and white photographs and carries fifteen coloured and eighty eight black and white or monochrome advertise- ments by local firms. The standard of printing of the text and photographs, particularly the coloured photographs, is very high and

the department acknowledges with thanks the co-operation received from both printing firms.

82. Trade Bulletin. The value of the monthly Trade Bulletin as a medium of trade promotion was well illustrated by the number of letters received during the year, containing requests from overseas merchants to advertise their interests in the local supplement, and to receive regular copies of the department's publications. A total of nearly 1,300 trade inquiries were received from bulletin readers overseas during the twelve months and 900 requests to be added to the regular mailing list. During the year a survey was carried out to establish whether all those on the overseas distribution list wished to continue receiving the Trade Bulletin. The result showed a list of 5,500 regular readers, a number increasing by an average of sixty to seventy a month. Firms in no less than 157 different territories receive copies.

83. A special effort was made to vary and improve the style of the bulletin and to advance its publication date to coincide with the month of issue. Despite staff difficulties, both objectives have to some extent been achieved, but the department is well aware that further improvements can be made within the existing scope and compass of the bulletin. Starting with the November 1957 issue, the composition of the bulletin has been planned to provide a special theme for each issue, supported by subsidiary articles and photographs on different subjects for variety. Main themes have included enamelware, cotton spinning and weaving, the annual local exhibition, paint manufacture and a broad review of Hong Kong's trade during the last five years; the review was supported by tables of comparative statistics assembled in a form not readily available elsewhere. In preparing a more accurate and informative lay-out of statistical tables, in advancing the publication date and in attempting to introduce other improvements in the bulletin, excellent co-operation and sound technical advice has been received from the printers, which the department acknowledges with grateful thanks.

84. Local sales of the Trade Bulletin increased slowly but steadily during the year and by the end of March 1958 the figure stood at about 900. Each issue carried an average of forty pages of advertisements, representing between them just over sixty Hong Kong firms.

85. The Trade Promotion Branch also distributed to overseas Chambers of Commerce and trade associations 240 copies of the Hong

Kong Annual Report 1957 and nearly a thousand copies of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce Report for 1956 to Chambers and Consulates abroad.

DEPARTMENTAL REFERENCE LIBRARY

86. With the completion of structural alterations in the Fire Brigade Building and the provision of a suitable room for a trade reference library, it was possible to start organizing the library so as to make it a useful source for consultation by local businessmen. Old publications were weeded out and scores of letters despatched asking for up to date editions. During the second half of 1957 more than 500 books and magazines arrived covering a wide field of commercial subjects in most parts of the world. The library now consists of about a thousand books, among them many useful commercial guides and directories, and a number of folders containing up to date information on customs and tariff regulations in many parts of the world.

MISCELLANEOUS

87. One of the other main functions of the Trade Promotion Branch is to deal with business inquiries received by letter or by personal visits. A large correspondence was maintained with overseas firms requesting information about Hong Kong products and the names and addresses of firms handling them. The branch also received approximately 200 business visitors from overseas, arranged introductions and factory visits for them and gave advice as required. A very large number of local businessmen consulted the branch and received assistance in a wide variety of ways.

88. A small standing display of Hong Kong products was mounted in the trade reference library, which proved of interest to business visitors from overseas.

89. At the request of both overseas and local firms, the department mediated in a number of commercial disputes and in several cases persuaded the firms concerned to reach satisfactory settlements.

90. On several occasions the department was asked by aggrieved parties to intervene in cases where their registered trade marks had been forged or falsely applied to goods by other persons. The normal means of redress is by way of a private prosecution under the Merchandise Marks Ordinance and the circumstances in which the department may undertake an official prosecution are limited. Complainants were advised

in general terms of their rights under the Merchandise Marks Ordinance and were encouraged to consult a solicitor if they wished to institute legal proceedings. In practice, official prosecutions were only under- taken during the year in cases in which investigation revealed offences under other legislation for which private prosecutions would be in- appropriate. It is expected that certain amendments of the Merchandise Marks Ordinance, referred to in Chapter XV, will make it easier for private parties to obtain redress in the courts.

VI. CERTIFICATION OF HONG KONG PRODUCTS

GENERAL

91. On 2nd December, 1957, due to a re-organization of procedures within the Certification Branch and an increase in staff, it was found possible to accept applications for certificates two, instead of four, days before shipment. While this innovation assisted merchants, it limited the time available to the department for spot inspections of goods to be exported, and allowed little or no time for re-application if the original application required amendment or correction. The latter difficulty was accepted by Chambers of Commerce and other representa- tive bodies who had been consulted regarding the change, and the new procedure was instituted on the understanding that a strong line would be taken by the department in cases of carelessly completed, incorrect, or late applications.

92. During the year, two further steps were taken to speed up the issue of certificates and to minimize inconvenience to the public. The issue office was removed from the fourth to the ground floor, and a new method of paying fees was introduced on 1st March, 1958. In place of the former arrangement whereby payment was made on collection of the certificate, fees are now paid by postage stamps affixed or franked on the application, completed certificates being issued without charge. The fees themselves remained unchanged. The procedure greatly simplified collection, permitted a reduction in staff, and acts as a sanction against carelessly completed or incorrect applications.

INSPECTION AND REGISTRATION OF FACTORIES FOR

ISSUE OF CERTIFICATES

93. A vigorous inspection policy was carried out by the Industry Section of the Preventive Service attached to the Certification Branch in connexion with factories seeking initial registration, routine inspections

of factories already registered, and spot-checks on goods under application. This work was somewhat complicated by an increase in the number of inspections and inquiries prompted by requests and complaints from overseas customs authorities. Comparative figures of inspections carried out during the last four years will be found at paragraph 174. At the end of the year 3,230 factories were registered with the department, an increase of 106 over the number registered on 31st March, 1957.

STANDARD CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN

94. The number of standard certificates of origin issued was on a level with that for 1956/57. Some consolidation and revision of the criteria for the issue of these certificates was carried out and the depart- ment endeavoured to make overseas customs authorities more fully aware of their value in support of claims to Hong Kong origin.

95. The issue of certificates of origin for French territories, which require endorsement that the goods attain 50% British Commonwealth content, was brought into line with the normal preference costing procedure. It was made known that from 1st April, 1958, cost statements would be required in support of all applications for such endorsed certificates.

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE CERTIFICATES

96. H. M. Customs and Excise in London continues to be respon- sible for scrutiny of cost statements prepared by approved accountants in Hong Kong in support of claims to Imperial Preference for goods exported to the United Kingdom. As indicated in paragraphs 194 and 195, the London Office was involved in correspondence arising out of such claims.

97. Customs authorities in all other Commonwealth countries which grant Imperial Preference rates of duty for Hong Kong products look to this department to ensure that, when a certificate is issued, it is a valid claim to preference in accordance with the requirements of the country of destination.

98. The number of imperial preference certificates issued during the year increased by 6.2% compared with 1956/57.

99. The department continued its efforts to secure uniformity among approved accountants in the preparation of cost statements for, and claims to, imperial preference. Two important letters containing in- structions on imperial preference principles and procedures were

addressed to approved accountants. A staff increase enabled cost statements presented by approved accountants to be more closely scrutinized.

100. Incorrect and misleading descriptions of goods for export under imperial preference certification, especially for garments and particularly to the Central African Federation, was a constant problem during the year. In an increasing number of such cases the department had to resort to the power of revocation after issue of the certificates conferred by the Exportation (Imperial Preference Certificates) Regulations 1956.

101. A number of changes in imperial preference tariffs applied by overseas territories were circulated to merchants and accountants. These amendments will be incorporated in a revised version of the Imperial Preference Chart published by the department, which was under prepara- tion at the end of the year under review.

COMPREHENSIVE CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN

102. There was a marked increase in the number of Comprehensive Certificates of Origin of all types issued during the year. Commercial certificates alone, which cover the most valuable part of the trade, in- creased by 17.7%, while the total value of all goods exported under comprehensive certificates of origin was more than double that for the previous year.

103. A revised comprehensive certificate of origin application form was introduced on 1st January, 1958. The layout of the new form is similar to that for standard certificates of origin but calls for more information from the manufacturer.

104. During the year approval was given by the United States Foreign Assets Control for the addition of white and black olives to the Agricultural Products procedure. New items cleared for import into the United States and its dependencies under comprehensive certificates of origin included jade, quartz and hardstone figurines, joss paper, junks and sampans, and paper fans.

105. 'Western style' cotton shirts, dolls' clothes, and semi-embroider- ed woollen gloves were excluded from the list of presumptive items.

106. With the approval of the United States Foreign Assets Control, the import of fresh frozen shrimps and prawns from Hong Kong into the United States and its dependencies, which was suspended in January 1957 was resumed in June 1957, under a revised procedure.

MISCELLANEOUS CERTIFICATES

107. The Certification Branch continued to issue Letters of Support, where goods are processed in the Colony but to a degree insufficient to claim Hong Kong origin, and general certificates, which testify to the ability of a firm to manufacture a product for which an import licence is sought overseas.

108. It also continued to certify exports and verify the signature of the Superintendent of Gardens on phytosanitary certificates, the Director of Marketing or the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on certificates of origin for natural produce exported, and medical practitioners on phytopathological, hide and hair certificates.

STATISTICS AND ENFORCEMENT

109. Table 7 shows the number of factories registered with the department for the issue of the various types of certificates, the number of certificates issued during the year and the value of goods certified, with corresponding figures for the previous year.

110.

Fees collected for the services of revenue officers in connexion with the issue of certificates amounted to $173,422.

111. Certificates were revoked in eleven cases, and ten successful prosecutions for offences under the Certificate of Origin or Imperial Preference Regulations were concluded during the year. Fines between $250 and $750 were imposed.

VII. OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING HONG KONG'S TRADE

UNITED KINGDOM

112. The campaign by Lancashire manufacturers against the un- restricted entry into the U.K. of duty free cotton piecegoods initiated some years back gained momentum during 1957 and over-shadowed all other overseas developments affecting Hong Kong's trade.

113. A mission representing the United Kingdom Cotton Board and led by Sir Cuthbert Clegg attempted in January and February 1957 to negotiate a voluntary limitation on exports of Indian and Hong Kong piecegoods to Britain and, later, visited Pakistan during May with a similar object in view. While in Karachi, the mission was notified by the Hong Kong Cotton Spinners' Association that its members had

decided that they could not agree to any voluntary limitation of exports to the United Kingdom.

114. Mr. F. J. Erroll, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, passed through Hong Kong on his way to Peking early in October 1957, and took the opportunity to discuss the question of United Kingdom imports of cotton textiles. He visited a textile mill, met leading textile manufacturers and was given as comprehensive a picture as possible of the problems of the local textile industry, its current and estimated future capacity, and its general characteristics. The information was not readily to hand and its assembly was a matter of some difficulty to the department, because of the fragmentation of the industry itself and the absence of reliable information about its marginal constituents. However, it could be said that the information was sufficient to give H.M. Government a clear general picture of the situation as seen in Hong Kong, to remove some misunderstandings, and to correct some misrepresentation.

115. His Excellency the Governor referred in the following words to the problem of Lancashire on 4th December, 1957, at the opening of the Fifteenth Exhibition of Hong Kong products:

'You are aware of the pressure being exerted by the textile industry of Lancashire to restrict the import into the United Kingdom of cotton yarn and textiles from India, Pakistan and Hong Kong. Our friends in Lancashire are particularly concerned to put a ceiling on the import of cotton piecegoods from Hong Kong, now running at the rate of seventy million square yards in a year, about forty per cent of our total production of the type of piecegoods suitable for the British market. When the Parlia- mentary Secretary of the Board of Trade was here in October, I took the opportunity of discussing the matter with him very fully. The British Government has made it well known that it is reluctant to restrict imports from its Colonies, and I in turn made it plain that this Government would not consider enforcing an export control. I also pointed out that Hong Kong with its free, unsubsidized economy, which permitted free access of all the world's goods, could not be compared with any other country supplying cotton textiles to the United Kingdom. I said that when people from other countries talked about making voluntary agreements to restrict imports or exports, it was unreasonable to link Hong Kong with such talk because our circumstances are different.

Some of our Lancashire critics have pointed out the danger of relying too strongly on exports of a single product to a single market. This is a very real danger of which our textile industrial- ists are well aware. I was fortunately able to tell Mr. Erroll that expansion of our textile finishing industry already in progress would help us to avoid that danger, and would also mean that in the not too distant future I foresaw that we might have less unfinished cloth to sell overseas'.

116. On 24th March, 1958 Sir Frank Lee, K.C.B., C.M.G., Permanent Secretary of the Board of Trade, arrived in Hong Kong charged by Her Majesty's Government with the task of discussing with representatives of the textile (piecegoods) industry the possibility of a limitation of exports and ascertaining their views prior to a meeting between representatives of the U.K. Cotton Board and of the industries in India and Pakistan.

117. The department arranged for Sir Frank to meet three representa- tives each from the Hong Kong Cotton Spinners' Association, the Hong Kong Weavers' Association, and the Hong Kong Cotton Weaving Manufacturers' Association, together with a representative of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association, and the Exporters' Association. Collectively there was thus formed a negotiating committee representative of the textile industry, and of industry and commerce in general. The committee selected Col. J. D. Clague, C.B.E., M.C. to be its spokesman and chairman at the several meetings with Sir Frank Lee. The department provided statistics and factual information for the committee.

118. Sir Frank's negotiations were difficult, but a level of common agreement was ultimately reached, and he departed on 6th April. Briefly, the committee expressed willingness on the part of the Hong Kong textile industry to carry on further negotiations for a ceiling on exports of Hong Kong grey cloth, subject to certain conditions, and after the results were known of the industry-to-industry talks between representa- tives of Lancashire, India and Pakistan, which were scheduled to take place later in April.

CANADA

119. The Canadian Tariff Board, referred to in last year's report, finished its investigation into the production, consumption, marketing, imports and exports of waterproof footwear and rubber-soled canvas footwear, and presented in March 1957, a statement of its findings as

to fact with no recommendations. Following this, representations were made by five Canadian rubber companies to introduce alternative specific import duties, which would have the effect of raising very substantially the duty on Hong Kong rubber footwear. The department assisted the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong Exporters' Association in the preparation of a joint brief to the Canadian Tariff Board, setting forth reasons against the adoption of these changes. A public hearing was held by the Board in March 1958, and the final decisions of the Canadian Government are awaited by manufacturers and exporters in Hong Kong.

UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

120. With a view to giving more protection to her industries against imported goods, especially from Hong Kong, the Union of South Africa increased its customs duties on a number of commodities, including clothing, hosiery and buttons, with effect from May 1957. Alternative specific duties were also introduced in respect of most of these items. The effect of these changes on the Colony's trade is being watched. 121. Amendment No. 5 of 1958 to the South African Customs Act, 1955, was promulgated to take effect from February 1958. Hitherto, South African Customs legislation has required that, to claim Common- wealth preference, imports from a Commonwealth territory must have a 25% value content from the Commonwealth territory of origin. The legislation also enjoined that the 25% value content could only be varied by agreement with the territory concerned. However, the new amendment provides for unilateral changes in the necessary territorial value content on the authority of the Minister of Finance, acting on the recommendation of the Board of Trade and Industries. The expressed purpose of this enactment is to give the Minister power to put an end to the entry of competitive goods primarily produced in 'behind the iron curtain countries and especially in the East and at very low costs, but further processed in and then exported from countries in Western Europe to the Union under favourable rates of duty'. The department and the local trade associations are keeping abreast of developments.

FEDERATION OF RHODESIA AND NYASALAND

122. As forecast in last year's report, the action taken by the Federation to protect local industries by a revision of the preferential tariff regulations has resulted in a decline in our trade in cotton piece- goods, towels and enamelware.

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

123. As a result of further representation made through the United Kingdom Government, the quota for Hong Kong's exports of rubber footwear to Western Germany has again been increased, resulting in a bigger volume of trade in this line.

124. In May 1957 the German authorities announced the removal of quantitative restrictions on the import of 'Eastern tissues of pure silk, being tissues of the tussah variety or habutai and corah in a plain weave, undischarged or wholly or partly discharged, but not otherwise worked', but added that this relaxation would not extend to fabrics woven in Hong Kong. Appropriate action was immediately taken through the United Kingdom Government, and it is now confirmed that silk brocades manufactured in Hong Kong are not classified under the item in question and can therefore be imported into Western Germany under Open General Licence.

NORTH BORNEO

125. The North Borneo Customs Tariff has been substantially amended by the promulgation of the Customs Duties Order, 1957, which came into force in November 1957. In some cases, such as textiles and apparel (including footwear), enamelware, aluminiumware, flashlight bulbs and soap, ad valorem duties have been changed to specific duties. There have also been adjustments in the percentage empire content required to claim preferential duty; in particular, the empire content required for toys, leather goods, brooms and brushes has been raised from 25% to 50%. Some items such as firecrackers, matches, soap, stationery, sugar and tea have also been removed from preference. It is likely that some of these changes will operate to the detriment of the Colony's export trade.

MOROCCO

126. During the trade talks in respect of 1958 held between the Moroccan and the United Kingdom Governments, the latter attempted to negotiate an import quota of green tea on behalf of Hong Kong. Although this was not successful, the position is still being kept under review.

FRANCE AND FRENCH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES

127. Despite representations made by the United Kingdom Govern- ment, the French authorities have not felt able to increase the annual

quotas for the import of Hong Kong torches and electric light bulbs into metropolitan France.

128. However, quotas for the period March to December 1958 have been opened for import from the sterling area into French Equatorial Africa and the French Cameroons of a number of commodities, of which the following are of interest to Hong Kong: cotton fabrics, knitwear, clothing and accessories and miscellaneous metal products.

THE TREATY OF ROME AND THE GENERAL AGREEMENT

ON TARIFFS AND TRADE

129. The department has followed closely the examination, by countries participating in the G.A.T.T., of the Treaty of Rome which created the European Common Market or Customs Union with France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg as partners. The sections in the Treaty concerning common tariffs and quantitative restrictions, and the reactions of countries participating in the G.A.T.T. towards them, are likely to have an important bearing on Hong Kong's future trade with countries of the Common Market.

EUROPEAN FREE TRADE AREA

130. The department continues to keep abreast of progress made in the proposed formation of a European Free Trade Area, because a number of aspects of the Colony's trade will be affected by the proposals under discussion. The definition of origin to be adopted is likely to be of considerable importance to local industry if the Free Trade Area comes into being.

NEW ZEALAND

131. To conserve its reserves of overseas funds, the New Zealand Government issued a new import licensing schedule which is effective from 1st January, 1958 and makes the licensing arrangements more restrictive. The schedule is expected to have an adverse effect on exports of Hong Kong goods to New Zealand during 1958.

INDONESIA

132. The civil disturbances in Indonesia have disrupted Hong Kong's normal trade with that country. In addition, all Government imports have been temporarily suspended. This further measure to curb imports in order to conserve foreign exchange follows the recent ban on imports of luxury and semi-luxury goods, and the raising from 20%

to 100% of the c.i.f. value of the goods, of the guarantees that Indonesian importers are required to deposit when submitting import applications.

RELATIONS WITH OVERSEAS CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES

133. Close co-operation exists between the department and the overseas customs authorities of Commonwealth countries, especially those in New Zealand, Rhodesia, Mauritius, North Borneo and Malaya. Doubts or queries about certificates of origin or imperial preference certificates issued by the department, have been promptly resolved or answered. Information as to changes in customs legislation and related matters was freely exchanged.

GENERAL

134. The preceding paragraphs illustrate only some of the develop- ments overseas which have affected, or are likely to affect the Colony's trade. Other general developments, such as industrialization in countries within the Colony's traditional trading area which invariably leads to the adoption of protective measures in the form of increased tariffs or quantitative restrictions, the tendency to negotiate bilateral trade agree- ments involving the Colony's present trading partners, and the drift towards policies of direct supply all have repercussions on Hong Kong either as an entrepot or as a manufacturing centre. The department endeavours within the limitations imposed by the paucity of experienced staff, to keep informed of developments overseas and to relate them to the Colony's trade and industry.

VIII. DUTIABLE COMMODITIES

REVENUE FROM DUTIES

135. Net revenue from duties, as compared with collections in the previous year, are summarized in the following table:

1956/57

1957/58 $

Tobacco

40,774,038

45,163,230

Hydrocarbon oils

24,477,764

26,145,514

Liquor

24,659,782

26,566,105

Toilet Preparations and Proprietary

Medicines

4,779,955

5,188,186

Table Waters

2,607,760

2,653,268

Methyl Alcohol

6.427

$97,299,299

$105,722,730

This represents an increase in 1957/58 of $8,423,431, about 8.7% above the figure for the previous year. The return from every type of duty was the highest ever recorded. A further breakdown is given in Table 9.

136. Tobacco retained its established role as the principal source of revenue with an increase of more than $4 million over 1956/57.

137. Liquor has also maintained its position this year as the second highest producer of revenue, and collections on this commodity have increased by almost $2 million when compared with 1956/57 figures. Strict control of exports and the supply of liquor for ships' stores coupled with increased vigilance by the Preventive Service are mainly responsible for the increase in duties from imported liquor. The increase in revenue from locally manufactured liquor is for the most part attributable to the fact that dealers in Chinese wine are now more selective in their purchases after public criticism which arose when it was discovered that methyl alcohol, a highly toxic fluid, had been used to adulterate local liquor during the latter half of 1956.

138. With the continued expansion of industry and an increasing number of motor vehicles, revenue from hydrocarbon oils continued to increase, the collection for the year under review exceeding that for 1956/57 by over $1 million. Other factors contributing to the increase have been the mechanization of local sailing craft and the continuing change-over from firewood to kerosene as domestic fuel.

139. Evasion of duty on toilet preparations and proprietary medicines has been checked to a considerable degree and as a result $408,230 more revenue was collected from this source than during the previous financial year.

140. Revenue from table waters remained fairly consistent with the previous year's collection showing only a very slight increase of $45,500.

141. Methyl alcohol was brought within the scope of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance in order to control the movement and use of this poisonous liquid. The control has proved to be effective and methyl alcohol has almost disappeared from the local market having been replaced in industry by denatured ethyl alcohol. This is well illustrated by the fact that in the whole year only $6,427 was collected on this item.

REVENUE FROM LICENCES

142. Revenue from licences issued under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance shows a slight increase over last year as may be seen from the table below:

1956/57

1957/58

Liquor

989,603

1,045,444

Tobacco

371,557

378,021

Hydrocarbon oils

37,376

39,752

Toilet Preparations and Proprietary

Medicines

129,220

133,000

Table Waters

6,467

6,230

$1,534,223

$1,602,447

Further details of licences and revenue derived therefrom are given in Table 10.

143.

IX. STATISTICS

TRADE STATISTICS

Itemized and summarized trade statistics continued to be com- piled within a few days of the end of each month, and throughout the year printed trade statistics were available to the public within a month of the period to which they related.

144. Revenue derived from trade declarations, landing certificates, ships' manifests, statistical services rendered to firms, etc. totalled $747,695 for the financial year ending 31st March, 1958.

STATISTICS OF TRADE BY PARCEL POST

145. With effect from January 1958 the monthly published Trade Statistics have included information on the value of imports and exports of commercial transactions through the post. This has been done with the advice of the Trade and Industry Advisory Committee and with the co-operation of the leading trade associations to close a major gap in the Colony's trade statistics.

146. Congestion in the General Post Office, particularly when mail ships are in port, made it impracticable to obtain the necessary informa- tion from that source. It was therefore decided to ask merchants to co-operate on a voluntary basis by completing a simple form each month indicating the total number and total value of packages they had imported or exported through the post during the previous month. These forms are

then totalled and shown in the Trade Statistics as item 911 010 'Postal packages, not classified according to kind”.

147. Where merchants, through usage or convenience, continue to record their postal transactions on import and export declaration forms, these are included in the Trade Statistics under the appropriate com- modity and country classification.

148. The coverage is far from complete and steps have been taken to encourage more merchants to co-operate in the provision of these statistics.

149. The values recorded during January to March 1958 totalled HK$4.40 million for imports and HK$2.29 million for exports.

MECHANIZATION

150. The decision was taken during the year to order an installation of punched card machines to permit a complete separation of exports of Hong Kong products from re-exports in the Trade Statistics, and to enable details of trade with a larger number of countries to be published. The equipment will also afford to other departments the advantages of mechanization in the provision of statistics.

151. An order was placed with the British Tabulating Machine Company for one Senior Rolling Tabulator, one Collator, one Reproducer Summary Card Punch, and one Sorter, to be delivered so that the Trade Statistics for January 1959 will be produced by this means. This involves a considerable amount of administrative and technical re-organization, work on which began during the year.

RETAIL PRICE INDEX

152. The Retail Price Index continued to be published monthly and the figures for the end of each quarter, on the basis March 1947 100, were as follows:

June

Sept. Dec.

March

1957

1958

Food (including drink)

126

131.

115

121

II.

Rent

119

III.

Clothing (including footwear)

IV.

Fuel, light and cleaning:

(a) Fuel

(b) Electric light

2625

100

June

Sept.

Dec.

March

1957

1958

V√.

Other items:

(i) Education

140

(ii) Tobacco and Cigarettes

113

(iii) Doctors and Medicines

105

(iv) Fares

100

(v) Household Equipment

106

105

108

(vi) Hairdressing

117

114

(vii) Newspapers and Stationery

153

(viii) Shoe Repairs

(ix) Rates

100

General Retail Price Index

118

121

112

116

ASSISTANCE TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS

153. Apart from trade statistics, the work of the office included routine statistical analyses for the Royal Observatory, the Urban Services Department, and the Criminal Investigation and Traffic Branches of the Police Force. It also included routine returns to the United Nations and its specialized agencies, the collection of retail commodity prices, the calculation of the Retail Price Index and the preparation of the monthly statistical supplement to the Government Gazette.

154. In addition, Hollerith cards have been punched for the Resettle- ment Estate Survey, the Housing Survey and the Radio Listeners Survey conducted by the University of Hong Kong, and the sorter machine has been made available to the University for the analyses of these cards.

155. A start was made on an analysis of Pomar Code Reports for the Royal Observatory covering wind directions and speed at specific levels in specified areas.

156. A total of 84,609 Hollerith cards has been punched during the year.

X. TRADE CONTROLS

IMPORT LICENSING

157. In June 1957, those countries subscribing to the United Nations Resolution of 19th May, 1951 made a reassessment of the strategic significance of certain commodities. As a result, it was possible to make a considerable reduction in local import controls in conformity with action taken by the United Kingdom. Restrictions were maintained on the import of goods having a high strategic value. Such commodities, generally raw materials required for Hong Kong industry, were subject

to strict quantitative or end-use import control, and local end-users were required in many cases to submit documentary evidence of their use of the materials concerned. Inspections of individual factories were made by officers of the department to ensure that highly strategic chemicals and metals permitted import for specific factories were being properly used.

158. The department issued 632 Delivery Verification Certificates during the year to verify the landing of strategic goods in Hong Kong. This compared with 844 issued in 1956/57 and 461 during 1955/56.

159. Japan, Iran and the Argentine were placed on the Open General Licence No. 1 on 1st April, 1957. The effect of this and the relaxation of the embargo on goods which were formerly strategic has been to reduce the number of import licences issued during the year by more than half, the number being 44,757 for 1957/58 compared with 101,224 for 1956/57.

EXPORT LICENSING

160. The 1957 relaxation in the embargo on the export of strategic goods to the Soviet Bloc has resulted in a considerable reduction in Hong Kong export licensing requirements. Various procedures which had been in use for almost two years and which had been established to permit the export of goods of a low strategic significance to China are no longer necessary. Local exporters also know more clearly which items may or may not be exported to China, North Vietnam and North Korea.

161. The total prohibition on exports to North Korea came to an end with the rescission in August 1957 of the Exportation (Prohibition) (North Korea) Order of 1950. This has had the effect of permitting free export of non-strategic goods to that country, subject to exchange control.

162. Delivery Verifications and Landing Certificates are required to support export licences issued for highly strategic goods. Many hundreds of these have been supplied by local exporters to verify the landing of these goods in approved territories.

163. The majority of export licences are still issued for exchange control reasons. The total number issued during 1957/58 was 225,221 compared with 225,754 for 1956/57 and 193,991 for 1955/56.

XI. THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE

GENERAL

164. The enforcement branch of the Department, the Preventive Service, remained under strength throughout the year, and at the 31st March, 1958 was sixty two short of the approved establishment of 343, representing a loss of 18% in manpower. This was due to the difficulty in obtaining suitably qualified recruits, particularly in the junior ranks.

RE-ORGANIZATION

165. At the beginning of the year, the Assistant Chief Preventive Officer who had previously been in charge of training was put in charge of the co-ordination of the various operational sections of the service. At the same time a new post of Senior Revenue Inspector was created, the officer appointed to this post being responsible for the initial training of new recruits and refresher courses for serving officers.

166. In the course of the year proposals were submitted to the Secretariat for a re-organization of the Preventive Service designed to bring salary scales and qualifications for appointment to ranks below Revenue Inspector in line with those applicable to the Police Force. These recommendations were approved and provision was made accordingly for inclusion in the estimates for 1958/59. The salary scales will be commensurate with the qualifications and responsibilities expected of officers of the new grades, and it is hoped that it will thereby be easier to fill outstanding vacancies and to retain recruits in the service.

DISCIPLINE

167. Seven Revenue Inspectors and three Revenue Officers were commended by the Director during the year. In addition, one Revenue Inspector and ten Revenue Officers received favourable entries in their Records of Service for good work. Disciplinary punishments were awarded as follows:

Admonishments

Reprimands

Severe Reprimands

Deferment of increment

Termination of Service Dismissal

1956/57

1957/58

SEARCHES

168. A total of 1,773 ocean-going vessels were inspected and 33,758 native craft searched within and outside harbour limits, as compared with 816 and 39,287 respectively during the previous year. Macau ferry boats were also searched daily. Sixty aircraft were searched under the supervision of trained mechanics.

DUTIABLE COMMODITIES

169. The control of dutiable commodities continued to be the main task of the Preventive Service. Seizures of tobacco, liquor, proprietary medicines and toilet preparations were maintained at a high level, the majority of which resulted in confiscations by the courts as listed in Table 11. Service launches on deep-sea patrols looked inwards towards the harbour and were able to follow incoming vessels, particularly from Macau, in order to detect dutiable cargoes dumped overboard. Similar measures were adopted in respect of incoming deep-sea vessels and it was found possible to board these immediately after immigration and port health formalities were completed in Kowloon Bay.

170. During the year, Revenue Officers engaged on harbour launch patrol duties found that there were discrepancies between lists of ships' stores supplied to them and the actual stocks of dutiable commodities held on board ocean-going vessels on their arrival in the Colony. Measures were taken to suppress the evasion of duty on these com- modities which, in many cases, crew members intended to be brought ashore. Extensive searches were made and rummaging parties were successful in locating the following quantities of ships' stores concealed on board ship:

Cigarettes Liquor

Cigars

805 lbs.

488 gallons

44 lbs.

With the assistance of the shipping companies, this illegal flow of dutiable goods to the local market has largely been brought under control.

NARCOTICS

171. Eighty five seizures of narcotics were made during the year, and details of subsequent confiscations by the courts are given in Table 11. The formation of the Anti-Narcotics Section has been fully justified, and the continued close co-operation between this section and the Narcotics Bureau of the Police Force has been of mutual benefit.

172. Narcotics were located both on vessels and on aircraft arriving from various ports. The largest seizure during the year under review was 1,076 lbs. of raw opium discovered in a cargo of cotton waste which had arrived from Karachi. One hundred and fifty lbs. of raw opium were found hidden in the hold of a deep-sea vessel, covered by a large number of sacks of peas. Another seizure of 984 lbs. of raw opium and 174 lbs. of morphine-hydrochloride was made in a dunnage hatch concealed under sacks of sawdust covered by steel hawsers. The largest single seizure of morphine-hydrochloride for many years weighing 47.5 lbs. occurred during the year; it was found in the possession of a passenger arriving by air from Bangkok. A further seizure of interest was 12,200 heroin pills concealed in a secret compartment of fishing junk from Macau. An attempt to export 4 lbs. of morphine-hydrochloride to Macau was thwarted by Revenue Officers.

STRATEGIC COMMODITIES

173. As a result of the relaxation of export controls, referred to in paragraph 160, which permitted a variety of previously embargoed goods of low strategic value to be exported to China, there were no seizures of strategic goods during the year.

CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN

174. The following table shows the number of inspections carried out by Officers in the Industry Section compared with the three previous

years:

1954/55

1955/56

1956/57

1957/58

13,180

24,252

42,735

42,171

Further details of the work carried out by this section will be found in paragraph 93.

DANGEROUS GOODS

175. Negligible quantities of dangerous goods were seized during the year.

MERCHANDISE MARKS

176. Four infringements of the Merchandise Marks Ordinance were detected during the year, being the same number as in the previous year.

The offences concerned the trade description of cotton shirts, Chinese joss-sticks and ladies' gloves.

BULLION

177. Gold seizures in various forms totalled 878.64 lbs. One hundred and thirty three pounds were found concealed in a cargo of sweets destined for Singapore, and a further 100 lbs. of gold in bars were located in the exhaust pipes of generators that were still running prior to the departure of a vessel. A third seizure of 88 lbs. of gold bars was found in the propeller shaft tunnel wall of another vessel about to leave the Colony.

178. All seizures of bullion were made as a result of information received by officers of the Preventive Service.

COURT ACTIONS

179. The following table shows that the Prosecution Section had fewer cases to handle than in 1956/57. It also reveals a marked reduction in the number of arrests as a result of a decision to proceed against suspect persons by way of summons wherever possible, and an appreciable increase in the severity of fines inflicted by the courts.

1955/56 1956/57 1957/58

Total actions Total arrests

Total fines

1,283

1,679

2,742 683

783

540 $202,102 $211,009 $230,952

An indication of the major confiscations ordered by the courts, other than of dutiable commodities and dangerous drugs, is given in Table 12.

XII. RESERVED COMMODITIES AND

GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES

RICE

180. A review was made of the existing rice policy at the end of 1957 and it was decided to continue the scheme for a further year. The basic quota remained at 66,000 metric tons per quarter and the stockholding commitment at 38,500 metric tons. An optional ten per cent addition to basic quotas was offered to importers in each quarter of the year and was taken up in full on all occasions.

181. Total imports of rice during the year ended 31st March, 1958 were 292,500 metric tons as compared with 294,425 in the previous financial year, as follows:

Source

1956/57 M/tons %

1957/58 M/tons %

Thailand

208,340 70.8

163,163

55.8

China

56,838

19.3

64,314 22.0

Cambodia

4,209

1.4

52,604

18.0

North Vietnam

2,013

10,192

3.5

South Vietnam

1,100

Burma

22,443

7.6

1,002

Australia

130

125

East Africa

252

United States

200

294,425

100.0 292,500 100.0

182. Higher f.o.b. prices and increased export premia in Bangkok were to some extent offset by reduced freight rates. Nevertheless, prices to the consumer at the end of the year were generally higher than a year previously. There was little public criticism of the Government rice control scheme, which has continued to operate successfully in providing adequate supplies at reasonable prices.

FROZEN MEAT

183. With effect from 1st July, 1957 the frozen meat control scheme was discontinued and restrictions on the importation of frozen meat were removed. Frozen meat, however, remains a 'reserved commodity'. Im- porters are required to be approved by and registered with the Department, and import and export licences are still required.

184. Total imports of frozen meat during 1957/58 were 7,015 long tons, as follows:

Total

Source

Australia

China

Beef Mutton

Pork

Offals

L/tons

2,832

359

166

3,400

48.5

390

1,336

1,818

25.9

U. S. A.

918

928

13.2

Holland

257

324

4.6

Denmark

179

249

3.6

Canada

100

1.4

New Zealand

1.4

South America

1.4

Japan

Thailand

2,952

381

750

2,932

7,015

100.0

185. A drop in the consumption of frozen meat was more than compensated for by increased consumption of fresh meat, so that total figures show a sharp rise for the year.

Fresh Meat

Frozen Meat

1955/56

1956/57 1957/58

L/tons

34,832

30,109

35,784

3,166

7,390

7,037

37,998

37,499

42,821

COAL

186. No restrictions were placed on the coal trade during the year. Total imports in 1957/58 amounted to 246,505 long tons as compared with 199,017 long tons in the previous year.

Source

China

India

Indonesia

North Vietnam

Australia

Taiwan

Japan

1956/57

1957/58

L/tons

Litons

143,066

71.9

173,591

70.4

35,591

14.4

20,335

8.3

3,090

1.6

6,892

2.8

1,936

1.0

6,181

2.5

1,470

3,035

1.2

49,455

24.8

880

199,017 100.0 246,505

100.0

187. The price of coal dropped considerably during the year, owing to a fall in the price of coal imported from China.

188. Coal remained a 'reserved commodity', and import and export licences were required for all supplies entering and leaving the Colony.

FIREWOOD

189. The maintenance and turnover of the Government firewood stockpile was carried on during the year, although some difficulty was experienced with sales owing to a substantial drop in the price of commercial wood. It was found necessary to adjust the price of Government firewood from time to time in order to offer it at com- petitive prices.

190. Total imports of firewood during the year 1957/58 were as

follows:

Commercial Imports

Source

China Malaya

North Borneo

Others

Total

Imports

Government Imports

Tons

138,772

23,516

5,451

18,065

19,550

12,303

7,247

181,911

17,754

164,157

191. Six thousand and forty-five tons of Government firewood were sold in the year ended 31st March, 1958 at an average price of $5.02 per picul as compared with 9,366 tons at $4.86 per picul in the previous year.

FOODSTUFFS

192. Reserve stocks of certain essential foodstuffs continued to be maintained and turned over during the year.

ACCOUNTS

193. The net expenditure on maintaining the Government stockpile for the year was $2,298,423.04, being the difference between expenditure on supplies, storage, etc., and the proceeds of sales. After revaluation of the stocks at 31st March, 1958 on the basis of the market value or original landed cost, whichever was lower, the net loss for the year was $1,973,091.91.

XIII. THE LONDON OFFICE

IMPERIAL PREFERENCE

194. The assistance of the London Office was frequently invoked throughout the year by accountants, manufacturers and exporters in Hong Kong, and by importers in the United Kingdom, in supporting and clarifying claims to Imperial Preference for the Colony's products. Over 800 factories and their claims to preference are fully recorded in the office. H.M. Customs and Excise provided copies of approximately 1,200 letters written to Hong Kong accountants in connexion with preference claims so that the office records could be maintained and extended.

195. Other problems discussed with H.M. Customs and Excise included certificates of origin or Imperial Preference for tea blended

in Hong Kong, the certification of Malayan latex used in the manu- facture of Hong Kong products, and preference for gunny bags of Commonwealth origin exported from the Colony.

TRADE FAIRS

196. The Director of the London Office was responsible for all advance arrangements at New York and Frankfurt in connexion with the Colony's participation in the First United States World Trade Fair in April and the Frankfurt International Autumn Fair in September 1957. At an early stage plans were obtained from stand designers and forwarded to the department in Hong Kong for selection by the Trade and Industry Advisory Committee. Thereafter arrangements were made for the construction of the stands, the unloading, unpacking and mount- ing of the exhibits, the accommodation of the official delegations, and other administrative and financial details. Almost all the preliminary work in connexion with the New York Fair was completed before the end of the previous financial year.

197. The office was also responsible for arranging the dismantling, repacking and despatch of exhibits at the end of the two fairs, and for winding up the accounts.

198. The Director of the London Office visited New York and Frankfurt as an official delegate on the Hong Kong stands, and Miss Wright of the London Office also went over to Frankfurt at short notice to give the delegation much valuable assistance.

199. Further details of the Colony's participation in these Trade Fairs will be found in Chapter V.

COMMERCIAL RELATIONS

200. Nine hundred introductions were made between United Kingdom and overseas companies seeking Hong Kong products and Hong Kong merchants and manufacturers. Fifty two requests for in- sertion in the Trade Bulletin were forwarded to the Department on behalf of United Kingdom companies.

201. Statistical information was supplied to commercial organizations and companies on many Hong Kong products including fountain pens, knitwear, brassieres, plastics, umbrellas, rubber footwear and leather cloth, and on other Hong Kong imports and exports, including ball- bearings and textiles.

202. Claims notified to the office numbered twenty eight, all of which were investigated and forwarded to the department for further investi- gation. In most cases satisfactory settlements were achieved. There were five infringements of designs or patents covering binoculars, shuttlecocks, watch bracelets, brushes and garments, all of which were fully discussed with the companies concerned and mostly settled effectively.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

203. Imports from Hong Kong into the United Kingdom continued to be the target for criticism in the United Kingdom Press. Umbrellas, gloves and toys were subjected to this criticism during the early part of the year but textiles took pride of place towards the end. On questions of fact the office intervened by writing appropriate letters to the news- papers concerned.

204. On other occasions the office collaborated with journalists who were preparing articles about Hong Kong, in particular the Feature Editor of the Shoe and Leather News which had been concerning itself about the problem of competition from Hong Kong in this field.

205. The supply of literature to schools, societies, businessmen, lecturers and the general public continued, with many favourable comments being made by recipients about its quality.

206. Several hundred letters were received from individuals seeking or proposing to take appointments in the Colony.

MISCELLANEOUS

207. Twelve hundred visitors were received and interviewed during the year. Sir Robert and Lady Black visited the office several times prior to leaving for Hong Kong where Sir Robert was to assume the Governorship. Sir Alexander Grantham also visited the office.

208. Again this year, the office was able to help the Hong Kong Chinese Manufacturers' Association with advertisements concerning the Fifteenth Annual Exhibition of Hong Kong products.

209. The Director of the office was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of Hong Kong House, and most administrative work in connexion with the preparation of the building and its organiza- tion as

a residential hostel in London for Hong Kong students continued to be conducted by the office.

210. The scope of the office is continually expanding and during the year it had to deal with such diverse matters as the supply of gearboxes in which the Hong Kong Marine Department was interested, equipment for Radio Hong Kong, market opportunities for convector heaters manufactured in the Colony, details of rail fares for journeys between Hong Kong and Peking, information on family planning in the Colony and infestation of cargoes through copra beetles.

211. During the year the Director and Assistant Director of the office made independent visits to Hong Kong.

212. The staff consists of the Director, Assistant Director, two senior clerks (one post vacant), shorthand typist, copy typist and office junior. The office is located on the sixth floor of Grand Buildings, Trafalgar Square, London, W.C. 2.

XIV. THE TOKYO OFFICE

GENERAL

213. Representation of the Colony's commercial interests in Japan continued to be the function of the Hong Kong Government Representa- tive who is concurrently the Head of the Hong Kong Section of the British Embassy in Tokyo. The office of the Section is located at Naka 8th Building, Marunouchi, in the centre of the business district of Tokyo. 214. The main activities of the Section were the furthering of Hong Kong's interests and presenting its views in all matters relating to trade and commerce, as well as the general promotion of trade and the dis- semination of information about the Colony.

TRADE WITH JAPAN

215. The following figures show the value of visible trade between the Colony and Japan for the year 1957:

HONG KONG

(in millions H.K. dollars)

1957

1st quarter 2nd

Imports Exports

203.95

96.72

176.74

73.42

3rd

4th

162.64

36.38

220.04

21.74

Total

763.37

228.26

1956

Total

810.60

317.96

216. The decline in visible trade for the year 1957 compared with 1956 was due mainly to the reduction in demand by countries in the Colony's traditional Far East trading area for Japanese goods purchased through Hong Kong, and to heavy reductions in purchases by Japan. Although the rapid pace in Hong Kong's trade with Japan has slowed down in 1957, particularly in exports, it was, nevertheless, a remark- able year compared with 1955 when the post-war two-way trade had climbed in value to $672.25 million.

TRADE PROMOTION

217. Trade inquiries, and requests for advice and assistance, were received from Hong Kong merchant houses and their branches and representatives in Japan, from industrial and commercial organizations in the Colony, from Japanese industrial and commercial firms and organizations and from business visitors from, and firms in, other countries. Inquiries by mail concerning many aspects of the Colony's trade and industrial activities were received from many countries, while the number of visitors who called in person at the section for interviews exceeded 350 a month. Commercial introductions were numerous, and the section arranged visits to factories and meetings with leaders of trade and industry organizations in Japan for business visitors from the Colony. Assistance was rendered in a number of commercial disputes between firms in Hong Kong and Japan, with a view to bringing about an amicable settlement of claims.

TRADE FAIRS

218. The Head of the Hong Kong Section, as the Government Representative in Japan, accompanied a delegation from the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce to the Japan International Trade Fair held at Tokyo in May 1957.

CONFERENCES

219. The office assisted delegations from the Colony attending the Pacific Area Travel Association Conference held in August, and United Nations Seminars on Highway Safety and on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders, as well as officials visiting Japan on study tours. The opportunity was taken to distribute trade and other literature about Hong Kong to the delegations from other countries which attended the conferences.

220. The Head of Section was invited to attend meetings of the Executive Committee of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and was also present as an observer at various trade conferences held in Japan.

VISITS

221. The Hong Kong Government Representative made periodical visits to the industrial areas of Japan, and also visited the Colony during the year.

TOURISM

222. Numerous inquiries were received, mainly from foreign nationals visiting Japan, concerning tourist facilities and immigration requirements in the Colony.

PUBLICATIONS

223. Publications such as the monthly "Trade Bulletin', the 'Com- merce, Industry and Finance Directory', and the 'Hong Kong Annual Report' were distributed to inquirers who sought information concern- ing trade with, and information about, the Colony. The publications together with Hong Kong newspapers and magazines were also made available to visitors in the reading room.

PROCUREMENT

224. The Section undertook the procurement of a wide variety of goods including livestock for Hong Kong Government departments.

IMMIGRATION FACILITIES

225. Despite the drop in trade between the Colony and Japan there was a rise in the number of applications for entry into Hong Kong by Japanese businessmen to whom 3,400 visas were granted during the year, being 400 more than were issued in the previous year. There was also a marked increase in the number of Japanese firms establishing branch offices in the Colony and of Japanese artisans rendering technical assistance to Hong Kong industries.

226. Transit facilities through Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China were granted to nearly 1,300 Japanese Nationals who were members of delegations representing many segments of industry and trade, cultural organizations and trade unions.

227. Applications from Ryukyuan nationals desiring to visit the Colony on business were dealt with by the Section.

228. Entry facilities into the Colony were cleared on behalf of 960 Chinese Nationals temporarily resident in Japan, and advice and assistance were given to a large number of Chinese businessmen and students from the Colony to enable them to extend their stay in Japan to conduct business and pursue their studies.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

229. Liaison was maintained with Ministries, the Commercial Sections of Embassies and Legations, Chambers of Commerce and other organizations in Japan.

230. The assistance given to the Section by the Japanese authorities and, in particular, by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry is gladly acknowledged.

STAFF

231. The office staff consisted of the Head of Section and six Japanese nationals.

XV. LEGISLATION

232. Compared with 1956/57 very little legislation affecting the work of the Department was undertaken during the course of the year.

233. In August the Exportation (Prohibition) (North Korea) (Rescission) Regulations, 1957 were published as notification No. A.73 of 20th August, 1957. These rescinded the absolute prohibition on the exportation of goods to North Korea, in line with similar action taken in the United Kingdom.

234. The Merchandise Marks (Amendment) Ordinance, No. 6 of 1958, became law on 22nd January, 1958. The purpose of this enactment was to bring local legislation more closely into line with United Kingdom legislation on the subject. The more important changes included a con- siderable increase in penalties, a strengthening of the provision whereby a private complainant may obtain a search warrant with a view to the seizure of goods infringing the Ordinance, and the inclusion of a clause enabling the Governor in Council by regulation to provide for the payment and protection of informers in the case of prosecutions under- taken by the Crown or a public officer. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Incorporated Law Society of Hong Kong were consulted by the Legal Department on the terms of the bill. Amendments of the Regulations subsidiary to the Ordinance were drafted but not enacted before the end of the period under review.

235. With effect from 1st March, 1958 members of the public were required to pay the appropriate fees for Government Certificates of Origin, Comprehensive Certificates of Origin and Imperial Preference Certificates by means of adhesive or impressed postage stamps affixed or franked on applications for the certificates. Previously these fees were paid in cash on the issue of the certificates. The change was intro- duced after consultation with representatives of manufacturing and trading interests and was designed to simplify and expedite the issue of certificates. It involved the publication of a notification, No. A.8 of 1958 dated 28th January, 1958, under section 12 of the Importation and Exportation Ordinance (Cap. 50) prescribing the fees charged for these and other certificates, licences and services provided by the department and the manner of their payment. No change was made in the amount of the various fees covered by the notification, but the opportunity was taken to improve the wording of the previous notification published in 1953.

236. The introduction on 1st April, 1958 of a mechanized licensing and accounting system in the Dutiable Commodities Branch necessitated an amendment of the forms of licences and permits prescribed in the First Schedule to the Dutiable Commodities Regulations. The Dutiable Commodities (Amendment) Regulations 1958, published as Notification No. A.17 in the Gazette of 14th March, 1958, provided for the intro- duction of the new forms.

237. A rough draft of a Preventive Service Bill was completed in the department during the course of the year and forwarded to the Secretariat and Attorney General for consideration. A number of points of detail remained to be settled at the end of March 1958 and it is expected that the final draft of the Bill will be completed in the Legal Department early in the new financial year.

XVI. DEPARTMENTAL WELFARE

GENERAL

238. The Assistant Director (Administration), who is departmental welfare officer, was available at all times to officers who wished to discuss with him matters affecting their own or their family's welfare.

HOUSING OF LOCAL OFFICERS

239. Thirty members of the staff who applied in October 1956 for the grant of a loan to finance a housing scheme formed themselves into

a co-operative building society which was registered in November 1957. The building plans were submitted for approval in February 1958 and the society has been assured that the squatters occupying the site allocated to it will be cleared as soon as possible.

240. Advances of a month's salary towards the expenses involved were made to several officers moving to new accommodation.

241. The occupants of the five flats in Kowloon comprising depart- mental quarters for non-expatriate Preventive Service officers were warned towards the end of the year that they would be required to vacate them temporarily in May 1958 to enable alterations to the building to be made. It is hoped that some of the flats will again be available as departmental quarters in due course.

AMENITIES IN DEPARTMENTAL QUARTERS

242. An improved type of fan and a refrigerator were issued to the barrack quarters at Fan Ling Revenue Station and Sham Tseng Revenue Sub-Station, both in the New Territories, to improve the living con- ditions of the resident staff. Plans were drawn up and provisionally approved for alterations to the barrack accommodation for Revenue Officers, both men and women, on the 6th floor of Fire Brigade Building. The work is expected to be put in hand early in the new financial year.

EDUCATION

243. Assistance was given to various officers in placing their children in Government schools; out of twelve applications forwarded through the Department, three were successful. Messengers, office attendants and office assistants were encouraged to take English classes at the Evening Institute of the Education Department, and clerical staff to attend classes in shorthand and book-keeping at the Evening Institute or the Technical College Evening Department.

CANTEENS

244. The canteen for Revenue Officers on the 6th floor of the Fire Brigade Building continued to be reasonably well patronized. Provisional approval was given for the premises to be improved and redecorated and for existing furniture to be repaired and new furniture supplied. It is hoped that this work will be completed early in the new financial year.

245. Early in the year proposals were submitted for the creation of a canteen and rest room for the clerical and related grades of the four departments accommodated in Fire Brigade Building. The proposals were approved in principle in June 1957 and the first meeting of the Canteen Committee representative of all the departments concerned was held in September. By the end of the year firm plans for architectural alterations to a flat on the 6th floor of Fire Brigade Building had been agreed and financial provision included in the estimates for the new financial year; provision had similarly been made for furnishing the

canteen.

REVENUE INSPECTORS' MESS

246. At the beginning of the year work was completed on the con- version of a married and a single quarter on the top floor of Fire Brigade Building into a mess for the Revenue Inspectorate to a design by an architect of the Public Works Department. The Mess was formally opened on 10th April before a large gathering which celebrated the event in suitable fashion.

247. Facilities include showers and a changing room for the In- spectorate, a kitchen and dining room where adequate meals may be obtained at reasonable prices, a small library, and a lounge and bar.

248. Full membership is open to all Revenue Inspectors and Senior Revenue Inspectors. Gazetted officers of the Preventive Service, Executive Officers and officers of equivalent or senior rank serving in the department and such other persons as may be approved by the Mess Committee, with the concurrence of the Director, may become sub- scribing members. All members, except Honorary Members, must be officers serving in the department; membership ceases on transfer, resignation, etc. At the end of the year, there were approximately fifty full and fifty subscribing members.

249. Amenities purchased out of mess funds include table tennis, darts, television, rediffusion, mah jong, a gramophone and radio. There is a library of some 200 books and two new books a month are added by book club subscriptions.

250. Finances were in such a healthy state after some months of operation that it proved possible to reduce the monthly subscription payable by members.

251. By kind permission of the Mess Committee its premises were made available for the annual Christmas party and dance described in paragraph 258, and for an official cocktail party at which Mr. Eugene

50Melville, C.M.G., Assistant Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, was guest of honour.

LEAVE

252. Leave rosters for the Preventive Service were carefully main- tained, and with very few exceptions officers were able to take a minimum of twelve days casual leave during the year. Officers of other grades were whenever possible granted any leave for which they applied, but staffing difficulties made it impracticable to require them to take all the leave for which they were eligible.

253. On the whole the health of the staff remained good. Four officers were admitted to hospital suffering from tuberculosis, and were granted sick leave for six to seven months each.

254. Other absences from duty on medical grounds for over a month were attributable to maternity leave which was granted to five officers for approximately two months each.

PROMOTION PROSPECTS FOR CLASS V OFFICERS

255. On the creation of a further four posts of Office Assistant it was again found possible to fill them satisfactorily by the promotion of serving officers.

SPORTS AND RECREATION

256. The proposal to apply for a sports ground in the Aberdeen area had to be reconsidered in the light of the meagre support given to it by staff members, who considered it to be too inaccessible by public transport. No alternative site has been found.

257. The Revenue Inspectors' Mess entered a team in the San Miguel Darts League which made up in enthusiasm what it lacked in prowess; greater success is hoped for in future.

258. The department celebrated Christmas with a dance and a children's party. For the first time the dance was held in the new Revenue Inspectors' Mess on the 6th floor of Fire Brigade Building which proved a great success. Some 200 people attended and the occasion was unusual in that both the Hong Kong Government Representative in Tokyo and the Director of the London Office were in the Colony at the time and were able to attend. Approximately 220 children were entertained in the grounds and clubhouse of the Indian Recreation Club, kindly made available by the Committee of the Club. A varied programme was arranged for their entertainment and many

willing helpers from all grades of the staff contributed to the success. of the afternoon.

XVH. STAFF

GENERAL

259. At the beginning of the year when changes in senior officers were made in the course of routine postings the opportunity was taken to re-organize the department into three divisions instead of five, namely Administration, Development and Controls, each under an Assistant Director, assisted by an Administrative Officer in the case of the Development and Controls Divisions. The redistribution of branches and sections between the three divisions is indicated in Table 6, and Table 13 shows the numerical distribution of posts throughout the department. The reduction in establishment of thirty posts compared with the previous year was due to the transfer of the Business Registra- tion Office to the Inland Revenue Department on 1st April, 1957. Fifty one out of a total of six hundred and thirty eight posts were filled by expatriate officers.

260. Three Executive Grade posts were replaced by three new posts of Assistant Trade Officer and a further three such posts, one of them non-pensionable, were approved by Special Warrant during the year. One post is provided as a leave reserve, two are in the Certification Branch and one each in the Trade Licensing, Trade Promotion and Dutiable Commodities Branches.

STAFF CHANGES

261. Mr. G. T. Hole, Cadet Officer Class II, relinquished his post as Assistant Director and went on vacation leave on 29th April, 1957; he rejoined the department on his return from leave on 15th January, 1958, vice Mr. J. Cater, M.B.E., who was transferred on 24th January, 1958.

262. Mr. P. V. Dodge and Mr. T. C. Cheng, Cadet Officers Class II, were appointed Administrative Officer (Control) and Administrative Officer (Development) respectively in April 1957.

263. Mr. E. E. L. O'Neil Shaw, Trade Officer, went on vacation leave on completion of his agreement with effect from 1st April, 1957.

264. Mr. D. Akers Jones, newly appointed Cadet Officer Class II on transfer from the Federation of Malaya, arrived in the Colony on 25th July, 1957, and assumed duty as Administrative Officer, Control

Division vice Mr. P. V. Dodge, Cadet Officer Class II, who was trans- ferred to the District Administration, New Territories on 22nd July, 1957.

265. Mr. T. N. Leigh-Bennett, Trade Officer, was confirmed to the pensionable establishment with effect from 18th March, 1958.

266. Mr. A. L. Tokley, Senior Revenue Inspector, was appointed to act as Assistant Chief Preventive Officer with effect from 6th November, 1957, on the departure of Mr. L. C. Millington on vacation leave.

3rd July, 1958.

H. A. ANGUS,

Director of Commerce and Industry.

TABLE 1

TOTAL VALUES OF IMPORTS INTO AND EXPORTS FROM

HONG KONG, BY COUNTRIES, 1956 AND 1957

Imports

Exports

Country

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

(HK$ Million)

British Commonwealth

United Kingdom

Central African Federation

513.33

667.28

4.26

4.53

298.37

336.75

14.28

15.46

East Africa, British

55.62

67.35

33.47

31.13

South Africa

32.01

55.61

29.46

43.64

++1+

Nigeria

30.88

63.94

West Africa, British, n.e.s.

21.27

Canada

46.34

51.36

29.29

41.11

West Indies, British

0.19

0.29

+ 48

20.03

24.16

Borneo, British

39.86

47.79

48.77

39.05

Ceylon...

4.11

5.39

14.83

16.45

•

India

Malaya

51.03

89.05

152.26

101.69

Pakistan

98.05

92.00

Australia

100.27

112.96

New Zealand

2.39

4.31

...

++11+

21.52

13.61

372.77

372.68

5.31

4.32

55.02

65.52

15.18

17.79

++│

1 +1 + + 1

Fiji

0.10

3.04

6.75

6.95

Oceania, British, n.e.s.

1.41

2.20

Mauritius

2.48

5.92

Mediterranean Territories, British

0.01

7.16

0.87

+ 242

21.98

+ 5

Aden

0.27

9.66

•

British Commonwealth, n.e.s.

0.22

0.26

1,107.35

1,304.11

+ 18

1,051.20

1,102.04

TABLE 1-Contd.

Imports

Country

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

1956

Exports

1957

% increase or decrease

(HK$ Million)

Africa

Egypt

6.09

10.51

+ 73

2.13

0.30

Belgian Congo

0.33

13.63

North Africa, French

0.02

2.32

Equatorial & West Africa, French

1.86

57.10

39.59

Madagascar

0.19

5.16

Africa, n.e.s.

1.48

30.14

{

7.95

12.53

59.23

91.14

America

U. S. A.

Cuba

Haiti

Mexico...

423.81

539.04

+ 27

116.57

198.18

+ 70

0.14

5.03

1.38

2.14

31.26

+ 26

0.05

2.64

0.19

30.28

2.18

4.45

...

+ 104

0.51

0.43

54.75

20.33

0.47

1.06

***

...

+ 128

0.02 )

13.46

1.07

22.67

1.47

11.29

Central America, n.e.s.

Argentina

Brazil

...

Venezuela

South America, n.e.s.

483.95

565.69

171.47

263.77

TABLE 1—Contd.

Imports

Exports

Country

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

(HK$ Million)

Asia

Burma...

China (excluding Formosa)

Formosa (Taiwan)

Indonesia

Japan.

Korea, North ...

Korea, South

Macau...

Philippines

Thailand

Cambodia

Laos

...

.::.

35.48

16.88

31.64

49.62

+ 57

1,038.31

1,131.10

+ 9

135.97

123.35

50.52

71.73

+ 42

47.48

60.60

58.88

126.25

+ 114

501.43

312.50

810.60

763.37

317.96

228.26

0.03

12.15

21.64

40.16

42.87

125.18

71.37

57.71

66.38

+- 15

34.65

18.23

185.36

191.79

T +

47.03

72.81

319.64

188.16

53.35

46.31

0.50

68.66

69.51

+17

138.67

Vietnam, North

22.94

30.49

Vietnam, South

4.36

33.09

Middle & Near East Countries

51.92

55.33

33.53

31.68

Asian Countries, n.e.s.

0.01

3.35

1.85

2,387.56

2,520.35

1,759.59

1,385.16

TABLE 1—Contd.

Imports

Exports

Country

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

1956

1957

% increase

or decrease

(HK$ Million)

Europe

Austria Belgium Denmark

France...

Germany (Western)

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden

Switzerland

U. S. S. R.

Czechoslovakia

...

16.27

109.30

14.43 117.63

0.05

0.08

11.60

16.04

5.86

8.83

5.06

4.82

27.92

36.98

21.17

12.82

118.98

159.27

+ 34

36.61

42.03

...

+11++

40.48

63.48

9.08

9.10

77.87

86.19

23.81

18.09

4.69

13.35

+184

ྂ

6.00

9.52

18.83

25.64

...

131.65

193.04.

2.84

++1

6.05

10.40

+ 72

3.58

3.34

100

9.15

12.97

Europe, Eastern, n.e.s.

5.51

European Countries, n.e.s.

10.85

12.43

+ 15

2.91

2.75

сл

578.50

745.92

+ 29

125.91

128.99

+ 2

Oceania

United States Oceania

Oceania, n.e.s.

0.32

0.19

31.92

31.34

0.58

0.66

+ 15

10.29

13.83

0.89

0.85

42.22

45.17

1+1+

2 34

Total Merchandise ...

4,566.20

5,149.45

+ 13

Total Gold and Specie

490.43

403.53

3,209.61

513.59

3,016.27

408,32

Grand Total

5,056.62

5,552.99

+ 10

3,723.21

3,424.59

TABLE 2

TOTAL VALUES OF IMPORTS INTO AND EXPORTS FROM

HONG KONG, BY COMMODITIES, 1956 AND 1957

Imports

Exports

Commodity

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

(HK$ Million)

Section 0: Food

Live animals

162.93

178.78

Fruits and vegetables

Meat and meat preparations Dairy products

Fish and fish preparations Cereals...

Sugar and sugar preparations

•

0.50

0.97

45.01

66.83

9.16

8.92

84.26

100.77

+ 20

16.34

•

14.89

84.59

93.79

+ 11

26.59

33.18

275.47

287.73

+ 4

54.40

44.79

200.14

233.42

117.74

119.15

83.07

91.61

+ 10

47.01

54.55

Coffee, tea, cocoa and spices

52.94

61.69

Feeding stuffs for animals

8.60

8.45

Miscellaneous food preparations

31.75

38.33

1,028.77

1,161.40

+++

28.37

30.07

2.61

+21

32.04

2.45 32.69

+ 13

334.75

341.65 + 2

+1 1+1+++1++

Section 1: Beverages and tobacco

Beverages

27.00

32.53

Tobacco and tobacco manufactures

59.09

74.05

86.09

106.58

+++

+ 25

12.26 8.12

11.27 9.50

│+

8 17

20.37

20.77

+ 2

Section 2: Crude materials, inedible, except

fuels

Hides, skins and fur skins, undressed Oil seeds and oil nuts

14.57

13.36

16.51

10.59

40.27

34.69

39.20

18.49

Crude rubber, including synthetic

20.88

18.31

―

0.49

2.37

+385

Carried Forward

75.72

66.36

56.20

***

31.45

Commodity

Brought Forward

...

Section 2: Crude materials, inedible, except

TABLE 2-Contd.

Imports

Exports

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

(HK$ Million)

75.72

66.36

56.20

31.45

fuels--Contd.

Wood, lumber and cork

69.29

76.77

Pulp and waste paper

3.02

3.07

Textile fibres and waste

316.04

309.11

++ 1

8.57

10.80

NIN

1.92

2.28

+ 19

101.23

69.22

Crude fertilizers and crude minerals...

8.44

10.42

4.22

4.21

Ores and metal scrap

15.02

59.70

+297

67.48

89.93

+ 33

Animal and vegetable crude materials

176.73

181.22

+ 3

143.47

114.59

664.26

706.66

383.09

322.50

Section 3: Mineral fuels, lubricants and

related materials

Mineral fuels, lubricants and related

materials

207.88

212.82

+ 2

28.87

5.35

207.88

212.82

28.87

5.35

Section 4: Animal and vegetable oils and fats

Animal and vegetable oils (not

essential oils), fats, greases and

derivatives ...

78.31

89.44

35.32

41.57

78.31

89.44 +

35.32

41.57

+ 18

Commodity

TABLE 2-Contd.

Imports

Exports

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

(HK$ Million)

41.78

52.10

1.63

0.33

15.53

18.92

1.04

0.15

2288

39.53

48.92

+24

51.63

49.23

58.28

83.62

...

+ 43

52.61

81.87

+ 56

45.87

43.73

26.00

23.06

36.97

10.40

37.23

10.21

56.31

78.69 + 40

18.63

21.85

+ 17

280.36

317.78 + 13

202.68

205.29

Section 5: Chemicals

Chemical elements and compounds... Mineral tar and crude chemicals

Dyeing, tanning and colouring

materials

Medicinal and pharmaceutical

products

...

Perfume materials and cleansing

preparations

Fertilizers, manufactured

Explosives and miscellaneous

chemical products.

Section 6: Manufactured goods classified

chiefly by materials

Leather, leather manufactures and

dressed furs

20.45

24.70

Rubber manufactures

17.80

13.89

22235

2.59

2.04

10.66

5.20

Wood and cork manufactures

(excluding furniture)

10.83

12.78

+18

3.94

4.67

+ 18

Paper, paperboard and manufactures

thereof

117.53

130.50

+ 11

71.37

51.60

Textile yarn, fabrics and made-up

articles

921.52

941.46

834.96

752.20

Non-metallic mineral manufactures...

91.44

94.65

50.97

39.99

Silver, platinum, gems and jewellery

98.75

106.72

33.42

30.51

Base metals

264.98

331.67

121.34

106.69

Manufactures of metals

59.81

1,603.10

66.45

1,722.82

135.41

122.85

1,264.65

1,115.74

Commodity

TABLE 2-Contd.

Imports

Exports

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

(HK$ Million)

121.97

177.83

+ 46

49.97

34.00

82.38

99.51

+ 21

36.95

37.21

+ 1

81.28

114.78

··

+ 41

32.74

36.37

+ 11

285.63

392.12

+37

119.66

107.58

Section 7: Machinery and transport

equipment

Machinery other than electric

Electric machinery, apparatus and

appliances

Transport equipment...

Section 8: Miscellaneous manufactured

articles

Prefabricated buildings; plumbing,

heating and lighting fittings

Furniture and fixtures

Travel goods

Clothing

Footwear

Scientific and controlling instruments;

photographic and optical goods; watches and clocks Miscellaneous manufactured articles,

n.e.s.

13.64

12.98

78.43

65.70

3.66

4.90

+ 34.

33.47

36.44

2.44

3.22

+ 32

17.34

18.05

43.11

62.14

399.31

438.79

4.10

9.91

+142

83.72

73.52

Section 9: Miscellaneous transactions and

commodities, n.e.s.

Live animals, not for food

Gold and specie

Total

165.15

238.23

42.57

39.13

99.11

107.86

+ 9

164.81

183.37

--- 11

331.21

439.24

+ 33

819.65

855.01

+ 4

0.58

+ 1

490.43

403.53

0.57 513.59

0.81

+ 43

408.32

491.01

5,056.62

404.12

5,552.99

514.16

+ 10

3,723.21

409.13

3,424.59

TABLE 3

TOTAL VALUES OF EXPORTS OF PRODUCTS WHOLLY OR PRINCIPALLY

OF HONG KONG ORIGIN, BY COUNTRIES, 1956 AND 1957

Country

British Commonwealth

United Kingdom

1956

(HK$ Million)

254.94

280.52

Central African Federation

East Africa, British

South Africa

Nigeria...

9.62

10.87

25.97

25.39

24.79

35.97

...

1957

% increase or decrease

+++

ANDE

58.55

27.04

West Africa, British, n.e.s.

Canada

18.72

13.11

22.59

...

West Indies, British

13.87

17.36

Borneo, British

Ceylon

India

15.00

11.92

6.04

7.13

7.18

2.20

...

Malaya

Pakistan

109.53

97.49

1.77

1.35

...

Australia

New Zealand

Fiji

30.83

35.64

9.76

11.10

++11 1+1++ |

221

5.01

2.14

Oceania, British, n.e.s.

Mauritius

Mediterranean Territories, British

Aden

British Commonwealth, n.e.s.

1.18

...

4.02

16.05

5.81

7.05

0.16

602.03

625.65

Africa

Egypt

0.61

0.09

Belgian Congo

11.74

North Africa, French...

1.88

Equatorial & West Africa, French

45.10

36.14

Madagascar...

3.65

Africa, n.e.s.

22.62

45.71

76.13

America

U. S. A.

Cuba

Haiti

Mexico...

70.51

132.93

...

2.56

1.08

19.98

1.70

+ 30

...

Central America, n.e.s.

20.71

Argentina

0.01

0.11

+ 1,568

Brazil

0.01

0.34

+2,235

Venezuela

9.47

...

South America, n.e.s.

14.28

6.64

104.80

175.54

Country

Asia

Burma

China (excluding Formosa) Formosa (Taiwan) Indonesia

Japan

...

Korea, North

Korea, South

Macau

Philippines

Thailand

Cambodia

Laos

Vietnam, North

TABLE 3-Contd.

0% increase

}

1956

1957

or decrease

(HK$ Million)

7.01

11.84

4.74

2.79

2.67

2.18

132.60

82.77

12.22

6.70

5.17

0.73

5.64

7.09

26.60

40.22

63.46

43.25

│++]

•

6.94

25.15

27.79

0.03

1.92

18.53

17.21

2.45

1.34

...

Vietnam, South

Middle & Near Fast Countries

Asian Countries, n.e.s.

Europe

Austria...

Belgium

Denmark

France...

Germany (Western)

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Sweden...

Switzerland

U. S. S. R.

Czechoslovakia

...

Europe, Eastern, n.e.s.

European Countries, n.e.s.

...

•

308.89

250.17

0.01

2.55

3.23

2.52

3.05

5.93

3.21

8.36

21.25

1.05

1.51

6.77

6.76

1.15

4.14

4.12

7.28

0.57

0.71

0.75

0.93

+++ ++1+++

154

4.4

261

33.75

52.07

Oceania

United States Oceania

13.50

14.51

Oceania, n.e.s.

6.06

7.92

Total

19.56

22.44

1,114.74

1,202.01

TABLE 4

TOTAL VALUES OF EXPORTS OF PRODUCTS WHOLLY OR PRINCIPALLY

OF HONG KONG ORIGIN, BY COMMODITIES, 1956 AND 1957

Commodity

1956

1957

% increase or decrease

(HK$ Million)

Cotton piece goods...

173.31

230.64

Outerwear, other than knitted, not embroidered, n.e.s.

85.95

124.04

Cotton yarns

+++

97.59

108.66

Shirts

71.55

83.25

Footwear

83.23

71.89

1++++

Household utensils, enamelled

76.18

66.02

...

Gloves and mittens of all materials (except rubber

gloves)

Toys and games (including baby carriages, playing

cards)

Electric torches

46.78

58.05

28 53

52.42

...

49.39

41.26

Cotton singlets

75.45

36.93

+11

Underwear and nightwear, knit or made of knitted

fabrics (except cotton singlets and shirts) Furniture of vegetable plaiting materials (bamboo,

straw, willow, etc.)

21.32

30.41

22 36

25.12

Lacquers, varnishes and paints

14.87

16.00

...

Linen, embroidered...

10.74

15.64

+++

Buttons and studs of all materials except those of

precious metals

20.99

15.43

2 2 2 2 2 2

Lantern, metal

17.19

14.15

Fruits, preserved

15.58

13.97

Stockings and hose

16.11

13.30

Towels, not embroidered

14.35

12.36

Travel goods (trunks, suitcases, travelling bags,

dressing cases, shopping bags, haversacks, packs

and similar articles) of all materials

9.59

11.26

Clothing of rubberized, oiled and similar impermeable

materials (including plastics)

13.41

11.09

Umbrellas, parasols, walking sticks, and similar articles

14.14

11.09

Plastic articles

9.69

11.02

...

Torch batteries

8.74

11.01

Articles of basketware or of wickerwork, n.e.s.

9.52

10 87

Iron and steel bars

Ginger, preserved

14.64

10.84

Wood furniture and fixtures

9.16

10.29

8.70

9.99

Outerwear, knit or made of knitted fabrics

10.96

9.84

Household utensils, aluminium

8.24

8.96

Outerwear, embroidered

7.15

8.74

AAA

Vacuum flasks, complete

...

7.49

7.82

Articles of clothing (e.g. handkerchiefs, shawls, etc.),

embroidered, n.e.s.

6.18

7.74

Handbags, wallets, purses and similar articles of all

materials

7.75

6.79

---

Cement

7.92

5.81

Torch bulbs

5.97

4.25

Underwear and nightwear, embroidered

3.18

4.00

Iron ore

4.69

3.98

Fish in airtight containers..

2.25

2.18

Cigarettes

1.04

1.99

...

Non-alcoholic beverages

0.87

0.99

Matches

0.86

0.91

Vacuum flasks (glass inners only)

0.39

0.51

Jams, fruit jellies and unfermented fruit juices

0.48

0.32

Seagrass

0.09

0.11

Tungsten ore...

0.13

0.03

Beer

0.04

0.02

11+1++++][+] + +++1++|+++||

Total

1,114.74

1,202.01

TABLE 5

VOLUME OF EXPORTS OF SELECTED PRODUCTS WHOLLY OR PRINCIPALLY OF HONG KONG ORIGIN, 1956 AND 1957

Commodity

% increase

Unit

1956

1957

decrease

Cotton piecegoods

...

Sq. Yd.

140,518,816| 196,329,265

+ 40

Cotton yarns

Lb.

30,967,456

33,121,206

Lacquers, varnishes and

paints

Lb.

11,583,135

12,679,862

Fruits, preserved

Lb.

14,353,196 12,190,492

Ginger, preserved

Lb.

9,977,043

8,224,046

Torch bulbs

Doz.

10,799,801

6,548,666

Torch batteries

Doz.

4,064,684

5,253,760

Electric torches

Doz.

3,625,237

2,996,024

Cotton singlets...

Doz.

4,759,701

2,330,959

Iron ore...

Cwt.

2,474,102

2,077,522

Shirts

Doz.

1,672,118

1,941,826

+ 16

Footwear

Doz. Pairs

2,008,794

1,867,136

Stockings and hose

Doz.

2,166,962

1,826,737

Towels, not embroidered

Doz.

1,321,699 1,195,819

Fish in airtight containers

Lb.

1,083,011

1,036,754

Cement

Cwt.

1,236,899

861,240

Cigarettes

Lb.

225,084

435,727

Umbrellas, parasols, walking

sticks and similar articles

Doz.

561,510

426,571

Iron and steel bars

Cwt.

339,709

234,807

Non-alcoholic beverage

Imp. Gal.

173,459

196,287 +

Vacuum flasks, complete

Doz.

191,535

192,570

Lanterns, metal

Doz.

105,423

151,366

Unfermented fruit juices.

Imp. Gal.

79,017

49,568

| ++

+44

Vacuum flasks (glass inners

only) ...

Doz.

•

14,325

26,423

Matches...

Case

5,487

6,162

Beer

Imp. Gal.

5,266

2,255

Seagrass

Cwt.

2,055

1,969

Jams and fruit jellies...

Lb.

1,340

1,444

Tungsten ore

Cwt.

221

***

TABLE 6

ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

LONDON OFFICE-

ADMINISTRATION DIVISION

CONTROL DIVISION

TOKYO OFFICE

DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

Administrative Branch

Accounts and Stores Section

Staff and Welfare Section

Statistical Branch

Trade Statistics Section

Other Statistics Section

-Trade Licensing Branch

Import Licensing Section Export Licensing Section

-Dutiable Commodities Branch

Licensing and Permit Section Excise Section of the Preventive

Service

-Supplies Branch

Preventive Service

Headquarters Section Investigation Bureau

Training Section Marine Section

Land Section

New Territories Section

Prosecution Section

Special (Narcotics) Section

-Industrial Development and

Certification Branch

Imperial Preference and

Certificate of Origin Section Comprehensive Certificate of

Origin Section

Industry Inspection Section of

the Preventive Service

--Trade Promotion Branch

Trade Publications Section Trade Enquiries Section

TABLE 7

CERTIFICATION OF HONG KONG PRODUCTS

1956/57

1957/58

Type of Certificate

Factories registered on 31.3.57

Certificates issued

Value of Goods

Factories registered on 31.3.58

Certificates issued

Value of Goods

Imperial Preference Certificates

Standard Certificates of Origin

Comprehensive Certificates of Origin:

Commercial

Tourist

Gift

Sample

65,557 $143,592,274

69,602

$139,690,637

3,124

104,966

501,678,476

3,230

104,091

487,729,247

17,869

21,040

27,966

31,101

70,806,681

158,028,666

6,400

8,457

374

1,390

TABLE 8

NET REVENUE COLLECTED FROM ALL SOURCES

Approved

Actual Revenue

Heads and subheads of Revenue

Estimates

1957/58

1956/57

Duties:

On hydrocarbon oils imported

On intoxicating liquor imported

13,000,000

25,000,000 26,145,514 24,477,764 13,793,573

14,222,180

On liquor other than intoxicating liquor

imported

600,000

604,375

589,959

On tobacco imported

40,000,000

45,163,230

40,774,038

On liquor locally manufactured

...

10,000,000

11,745,977 10,276,250

On proprietary medicines and toilet

preparations

On table waters

Internal Revenue:

...

5,000,000

5,188,186 4,779,955

2,600,000

2,653,268

2,607,760

Business registration fees

6,415,922

Stamp duties

•

700,000

727,264

705,135

Licences, fines and forfeitures :

Hydrocarbon oils

38,000

39,752

37,376

Liquor ...

960,000

1,045,444

989,603

Miscellaneous (table waters)

7,000

6,230

6,467

Proprietary medicines and toilet

preparations

140,000

133,000

129,220

Tobacco

370,000

378,021

371,557

Departmental fines

Forfeitures

600,000

502,795 1,857,117

Fees of court or office:

Denaturing

120,000

330,860

103,734

Miscellaneous

277,526

212,460

Official certificates

1,600,000

1,473,240

1,543,700

Departmental services and supervision

Anti-narcotic smuggling guards

8,000

12,014

9,417

Bonded warehouse supervision

14,400

Loss of, or damage to Government property.

131

Contributions towards H.K. Guide and

Directory, (i.e. C.I.F. Directory)...

77,471

175,000

127,299

88,873

...

5,600

1,432

521

Advertisement revenue

Publications

Revenue from lands, rents, etc.:

Hire of motor vehicles

Miscellaneous receipts:

Other miscellaneous receipts Overpayments in previous years

Total

140,000

14,026

203

230

2,354

101,078,000 110,806,124 | 109,865,195

Gallons

***

Wines

Beer

Liquor:

Whisky Brandy Gin

Type

TABLE 9

DUTY FROM DUTIABLE COMMODITIES (GROSS)

Unit

1956/57

1957/58

Quantity Duty Quantity Duty

61,659

59,665 3,172,560 3,726,599

58,382

3,107,081

64,265 3,880,615

24,777

1,360,200

22.319

1,225,185

52,875

1,218,332

58,587

1,331,808

2,766,951

4,375,484

3,095,392

4,821,684

Other European type

Chinese type:

(a) Locally Distilled (b) Imported Spirituous liquor other

...

than intoxicating liquor Methyl alcohol

...

Total...

9,718

538,329

9,974

564,289

1,362,514

8,497,849

1,541,617

9,600,874

146,393

1,332,858

181,663

1,598,664

60,130 633,655

63,422

652,260

4,544,682 24,855,866

358

5,095,979 26,788,860

6,427

Tobacco :

Lbs.

Cigarettes and Cigars European Smoking To-

bacco (including snuff) Chinese prepared Tobacco Tobacco leaf

Total...

Hydrocarbon Oils:

Light Oils

Diesel Oils

11,528

19,518 6,456,060 | 23,827,972 6,997,979 | 25,625,726

9,740,282 | 42,394,626 | 10,916,798 | 48,013,791

Imp. Gals. 14,464,006 | 11,571,205 | 15,506,519|| 12,405,071

Tons

3,230,064 18,353,141

3,871,103 22,196,497

42,630

178,927 34,586

41,210 6,506

172,050

59,959

2,513,548

64,941

2,823,678

Furnace Oils

Other type

ง

346,685

8,320,446

375,135

9,003,240

Imp. Gals. 20,748,497

2,185,517 | 19,556,178

2,060,403

Total...

24,590,716

26,292,392

Toilet Preparations

Proprietary Medicines

Table Waters

2,888,821

3,085,363

1,901,732

2,111,934

•

Gallons 5,432,914

2,607,802

5,527,645

2,653,271

Total...

7,398,355

7,850,568

Refund and Drawback

European liquor

...

152,388

162,016

Spirituous liquor other than

intoxicating liquor

Toilet Preparations and

Proprietary Medicines Table Waters

Tobacco

Hydrocarbon Oils ...

Total...

43,696

54,312

10,598

9,111

...

1,620,588

2,850,561

112,952

146,878

1,940,264

3,222,881

ᄌ

TABLE 10

REVENUE FROM DUTIABLE COMMODITIES LICENCES

Importers': Liquor Tobacco Hydrocarbon oil

T. P. & P. M.

Table waters Methyl alcohol

Dealers':

European-type liquor

Chinese-type liquor Spirituous liquor Tobacco

Hydrocarbon oil

T. P. & P. M. Methyl alcohol

Chinese-type liquor

Retailers' :

Spirituous liquor Tobacco

...

No. of Licences Issued

Revenue

562

84,300

13,500

208

31,200

519

་་

22,860

1,200

200

276

414,000

847

•

435,555

608

18,240

217

65,100

347

...

3,470

718

7,180

180

...

11,975

1,981

72,970

6,466

288,660

117

1,170

2,105

51,086

Hydrocarbon oil

T. P. & P. M.

Methyl alcohol

Manufacturers':

Liquor (Distillers 19) (Brewer 1)

Tobacco

T. P. & P. M.

Table waters

...

Miscellaneous:

Liquor Tobacco Hydrocarbon oil

T. P. & P. M.

Table waters

Methyl alcohol

...

Licence fees for persons importing for own use

Other

Total

2,125

2,250

303

45,450

4,875

...

2,416

402

3,884

3,150

306

3,060

130

11,321

780

1,602,447

TABLE 11

CONFISCATIONS UNDER THE DUTIABLE COMMODITIES

AND DANGEROUS DRUGS ORDINANCES

Commodity

Quantity

Unit

1956/57

1957/58

Tobacco :

Chinese prepared tobacco

Foreign cigarettes

Macau cigarettes

Local cigarettes

Tobacco Stems

...

Cigars

Cut tobacco

•

Liquor:

European type liquor

Chinese type liquor

Alcohol...

Fermenting material ...

Illicit stills

Lbs.

17,559

20,803

Lbs.

2,062

1,367

Lbs.

6,399

3,932

Lbs.

192

199

Lbs.

Gals.

314

519

Gals.

7,185

3,047

Gals.

29,715

154

29,822

Nos.

561

721.

Beer

Gals.

355

...

Proprietary medicines & Toilet Preparations :

Miscellaneous toilet preparations

Pkts.

5,279

3,590

Pkts.

40,390

13,507

Pkts.

439

150

Chinese medicines

Foreign medicines

Dangerous Drugs:

Raw opium Prepared opium

Diacetylmorphine hydrochloride

Heroin pills

Morphine hydrochloride

Morphine

Opium dross

Lbs.

1,382

275

Lbs.

238

Gms.

1,477

2,880

Gms.

3,289

20,412

Gms.

35,579

Gms.

5,216

1,497

Lbs.

2242

MARINE DEPARTMENT LIBRARY

TABLE 12

MAJOR CONFISCATIONS UNDER OTHER LEGISLATION

Legislation

Commodity

Unit

Quantity

Defence Regulations, 1940.

Exposed 8 m.m. film

Reels

Petrol Engine Crankshafts

Nos.

Watches

Nos.

465

Watch movements

Nos.

1,150

Frequency instruments

Nos.

Lighter flints

Tins

170

Importation & Exportation Ordinance & Regulations thereunder.

Kerosene

Gals.

1,232

Diesel oil

Gals.

220

Gold

lbs.

1,456

Vessels

Nos.

Automatic machines parts

Nos.

Carbide tool bits

Nos.

100

Auto parts

Cases

Radio valves

Nos.

100

Stainless steel

Cases

Penicillin Ordinance.

Penicillin substance

Bots.

3,708

Dihydrostreptomycin

Bots.

Merchandise Marks Ordinance.

Glycerin suppositories

Bots.

570

Chinese medicated oil

Bots.

240

Cotton gloves

Pairs

333

Pharmacy & Poisons Ordinance.

Sulfanilamide

Lbs.

TABLE 13

DISTRIBUTION OF STAFF

Directorate...

London Office

Tokyo Office

Administration Division

Staff and Welfare Section

Accounts and Stores Section

Statistical Branch

Development Division

Trade Promotion Branch

...

1957/58

1956/57

Industrial Development and Certification Branch

Industrial Development Section

Imperial Preferance and Certiúcates of Origin Section Comprehensive Certificates of Origin Section...

Control Division

Dutiable Commodities Branch...

Trade Licensing Branch

Import Licensing Section

Export Licensing Section

Supplies Branch

Preventive Service:

Headquarters Section Investigation Bureau

Training Section

•

...

Marine Section

Land Section ...

New Territories Section

Prosecution Section

Narcotics Section

Excise Section

Industry Inspection Section...

Business Registration Office

...

473

4.79

Total...

638

668

ዋ

HONG KONG

Code No.: 3026-58