Tag Archives: China

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 28) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highl… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:      The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced t… read more

     In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on November 27 to noon today (November 28), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 97 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 102 512 samples of food imported from Japan (including 65 919 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 23 014 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

     According to the results of the 2023 Annual Survey of Economic Activities – Transportation, Storage and Courier Services Sector released today (November 28) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total receipts (comprising business receipts and other income) of the transportation, storage and courier services sector amounted to $671.5 billion in 2023, representing a decrease of 12.0% compared with 2022; on a per establishment basis, total receipts decreased by 13.8% compared with 2022 to $24.2 million in 2023.
 
     Operating expenses and compensation of employees of this sector altogether amounted to $561.5 billion in 2023, representing a decrease of 7.3% compared with 2022; on a per establishment basis, they decreased by 9.2% compared with 2022 to $20.3 million in 2023.
 
     Gross surplus of the sector, which is equal to total receipts less operating expenses and compensation of employees, decreased by 30.2% compared with 2022 to $110.0 billion in 2023; on a per establishment basis, gross surplus decreased from $5.8 million in 2022 to $4.0 million in 2023. Gross surplus accounted for 16.4% of total receipts of this sector in 2023, down by 4.3 percentage points compared with 2022.
 
     Industry value added of the sector, which is a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong’s Gross Domestic Product, decreased by 16.5% compared with 2022 to $176.3 billion in 2023; on a per establishment basis, industry value added was $6.4 million in 2023, which decreased by 18.3% compared with 2022.
 
     According to the survey results, it was estimated that the sector comprised about 27 700 establishments and engaged about 206 100 persons, or an average of 7.4 persons per establishment, in 2023.
 
     Within the transportation, storage and courier services sector, the five largest industry groupings in terms of industry value added in 2023 were (1) air transport and service activities incidental to air transportation, (2) cross-border water transport, (3) land passenger transport, (4) other transportation support activities, and (5) land freight transport. They together accounted for 85.3% of the industry value added of the sector.
 
     In the air transport and service activities incidental to air transportation industry, total receipts amounted to $150.4 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $115.3 billion in 2023. Gross surplus increased sharply from $14.0 billion in 2022 to $35.1 billion in 2023, accounting for 23.3% of total receipts in 2023. Industry value added also increased sharply by 87.1% compared with 2022 to $59.7 billion.
 
     In the cross-border water transport industry, total receipts amounted to $136.9 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $110.4 billion in 2023. Gross surplus decreased notably from $92.6 billion in 2022 to $26.5 billion in 2023, accounting for 19.4% of total receipts in 2023. Industry value added also decreased notably by 68.8% compared with 2022 to $29.3 billion.
 
     In the land passenger transport industry, total receipts amounted to $55.7 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $44.4 billion in 2023. Gross surplus increased considerably from $5.8 billion in 2022 to $11.3 billion in 2023, accounting for 20.3% of total receipts in 2023. Industry value added also increased considerably by 43.0% compared with 2022 to $28.9 billion.
 
     In the other transportation support activities industry which comprised mainly cargo forwarders and shipbrokers, total receipts amounted to $228.0 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $205.8 billion in 2023.  Gross surplus decreased from $29.3 billion in 2022 to $22.2 billion in 2023, accounting for 9.7% of total receipts in 2023.  Industry value added decreased by 19.1% compared with 2022 to $23.2 billion.
 
     In the land freight transport industry, total receipts amounted to $22.9 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $21.0 billion in 2023. Gross surplus decreased from $2.3 billion in 2022 to $1.9 billion in 2023, accounting for 8.3% of total receipts in 2023. Industry value added decreased slightly by 0.9% compared with 2022 to $9.3 billion.
 
     Selected statistics for the transportation, storage and courier services sector are shown in the attached table.
 
     More detailed survey results on the transportation, storage and courier services sector will be given in the report “Key Statistics on Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Transportation, Storage and Courier Services Sector in 2023”. Users can browse and download this report at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080010&scode=340) as from end-December 2024.
 
     For enquiries about the key statistics on business performance and operating characteristics of the transportation, storage and courier services sector, please contact the Logistics and Producer Prices Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7256; email: transport@censtatd.gov.hk). read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced today (November 28) that a tender of 5-year HKD Institutional Government Bonds (Bonds) under the Infrastructure Bond Programme will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, for settlement on Thursday, December 5, 2024.
      
     A total of HK$3.0 billion 5-year HKD Bonds will be tendered. The Bonds will mature on December 5, 2029 and will carry interest at the rate of 3.23 per cent per annum payable semi-annually in arrear.
      
     Tender is open only to Primary Dealers appointed under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. Anyone wishing to apply for the Bonds on offer can do so through any of the Primary Dealers on the latest published list, which can be obtained from the Hong Kong Government Bonds website at www.hkgb.gov.hk. Each tender must be for an amount of HK$50,000 or integral multiples thereof. 
      
     Tender results will be published on the HKMA’s website, the Hong Kong Government Bonds website, Bloomberg (GBHK <GO>) and Refinitiv (IBPGSBPINDEX). The publication time is expected to be no later than 3pm on the tender day. 

HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Information

     Tender information of 5-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds: