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 highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Province of Lodi of the Lombardia Region in Italy, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 120 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 20 000 poultry eggs from Italy in the first nine months of this year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Italian authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.

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 15-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$0.5 billion 15-year HKD Bonds will be tendered. The Bonds will mature on December 5, 2039 and will carry interest at the rate of 3.75 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 3.00 pm on the tender day.
   
HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Information

     Tender information of 15-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
 

     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.

     According to the results of the 2023 Annual Survey of Economic Activities – Industrial Sector released today (November 28) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the manufacturing sector's total receipts (comprising sales and other receipts) amounted to $243.3 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 12.1% compared with 2022; on a per establishment basis, total receipts increased by 12.5% compared with 2022 to $37.7 million in 2023.

     Operating expenses and compensation of employees of the manufacturing sector altogether amounted to $226.8 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 13.2% compared with 2022; on a per establishment basis, they increased by 13.6% compared with 2022 to $35.2 million in 2023.

     Gross surplus of the manufacturing sector, which is equal to total receipts less operating expenses and compensation of employees, decreased by 1.2% compared with 2022 to $16.5 billion in 2023; on a per establishment basis, gross surplus decreased by 0.8% compared with 2022 to $2.6 million in 2023. Gross surplus accounted for 6.8% of total receipts of this sector in 2023, down by 0.9 percentage point compared with 2022.

     Industry value added of the manufacturing sector, which is a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, increased by 4.8% compared with 2022 to $37.0 billion in 2023; on a per establishment basis, the industry value added was $5.7 million in 2023, which increased by 5.2% compared with 2022.

     According to the survey results, it was estimated that the manufacturing sector comprised some 6 400 establishments and engaged about 76 700 persons, or an average of 11.9 persons per establishment in 2023.

     Within the manufacturing sector, the four largest industry groupings in terms of industry value added in 2023 were (1) food, beverages and tobacco, (2) metal products, machinery and equipment, (3) chemicals, rubber, plastics and non-metallic mineral products, and (4) paper products, printing and reproduction of recorded media. They together accounted for 89.1% of the industry value added of the manufacturing sector.

     In the food, beverages and tobacco industry, total receipts amounted to $46.8 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $40.5 billion in 2023. Gross surplus amounted to $6.3 billion, accounting for 13.5% of total receipts in 2023. Industry value added increased by 7.8% compared with 2022 to $13.0 billion.

     In the metal products, machinery and equipment industry, total receipts amounted to $143.0 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $139.3 billion in 2023. Gross surplus amounted to $3.7 billion, accounting for 2.6% of total receipts in 2023. Industry value added increased by 5.4% compared with 2022 to $10.0 billion.

     In the chemicals, rubber, plastics and non-metallic mineral products industry, total receipts amounted to $27.7 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $23.8 billion in 2023. Gross surplus amounted to $3.9 billion, accounting for 14.1% of total receipts in 2023. Industry value added increased by 8.1% compared with 2022 to $6.4 billion.

     In the paper products, printing and reproduction of recorded media industry, total receipts amounted to $10.7 billion while operating expenses and compensation of employees totalled $9.5 billion in 2023. Gross surplus amounted to $1.2 billion, accounting for 10.8% of total receipts in 2023. Industry value added increased by 7.7% compared with 2022 to $3.6 billion.

     In addition to manufacturing establishments, the industrial sector also includes establishments engaged in mining and quarrying; electricity and gas supply; and sewerage, waste management and remediation activities. Selected statistics for the industrial sector (except mining and quarrying) in 2023 are shown in the attached table.

     More detailed survey results on the industrial sector will be given in the report "Key Statistics on Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Industrial Sector in 2023". Users can browse and download this report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080012&scode=310) as from end-December 2024.

     For enquiries about the key statistics on business performance and operating characteristics of the industrial sector, please contact the Industrial Production Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7246; email: manufacturing@censtatd.gov.hk).

     According to the results of the 2023 Annual Survey of Economic Activities – Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors released today (November 28) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), the construction sector's total receipts (comprising gross value of construction works performed and other business receipts) amounted to $450.9 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 9.7% over 2022; on a per establishment basis, total receipts was $16.6 million in 2023, increased by 7.1% over 2022.

     Operating expenses and compensation of employees of the construction sector altogether amounted to $415.2 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 10.3% over 2022; on a per establishment basis, they were $15.3 million in 2023, increased by 7.7% over 2022.

     Gross surplus of the construction sector, which is equal to total receipts less operating expenses and compensation of employees, increased by 3.0% over 2022 to $35.7 billion in 2023; on a per establishment basis, gross surplus increased by 0.5% over 2022, to $1.3 million in 2023. Gross surplus accounted for 7.9% of total receipts in 2023, down by 0.5 percentage point compared with 2022.

     Industry value added of the construction sector, which is a measure of its contribution to Hong Kong's Gross Domestic Product, increased by 9.2% over 2022 to $133.0 billion in 2023; on a per establishment basis, the industry value added was $4.9 million in 2023, representing an increase of 6.6% over 2022.

     In 2023, there were some 27 200 establishments in the construction sector, which directly engaged about 195 800 persons, or an average of 7.2 persons per establishment.

     The survey did not cover labour-only sub-contractors that mainly supplied labour to work on a job-to-job basis, owing to practical consideration in data collection. The employment figures above mainly covered direct employees of the construction establishments and did not reflect the labour input through the sub-contracting activities of labour-only sub-contractors.

     Apart from the construction sector, the survey also enumerated establishments engaged in real estate activities; and architectural, surveying and engineering services.

     Total receipts (comprising gross margin of real estate development projects, service and rental income and other business receipts) of establishments engaged in the real estate activities (including real estate development, real estate leasing, real estate brokerage and agency, and real estate maintenance management) amounted to $180.4 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 3.5% over 2022. Operating expenses and compensation of employees altogether amounted to $96.3 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 6.2% over 2022. Gross surplus decreased by 5.7% compared with 2022 to $71.1 billion in 2023. Gross surplus accounted for 39.4% of total receipts in 2023, down by 3.8 percentage points compared with 2022. Industry value added increased by 2.6% over 2022 to $114.2 billion in 2023.

     In 2023, the real estate activities comprised some 11 500 establishments and engaged about 124 500 persons, or an average of 10.9 persons per establishment.

     The total number of private real estate projects ever operated in 2023 was 307. As at end-2023, 233 projects, which were expected to provide a total 7.4 million square metres of gross floor area of buildings when completed, were still under construction. Among them, 16% were on Hong Kong Island, 39% in Kowloon and 45% in the New Territories and outlying islands.

     The survey excluded establishments which developed real estate projects for their own use as well as those which owned land but had not developed it during the reference year. Real estate leasing and other related activities undertaken by individuals or firms which engaged less than two persons (except for subsidiaries of real estate enterprises) were also not covered in the survey.

     Total receipts (comprising service income and other business receipts) of establishments engaged in the architectural, surveying and engineering services amounted to $27.7 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 3.9% over 2022. Operating expenses and compensation of employees altogether amounted to $24.0 billion in 2023, representing an increase of 4.8% over 2022. Gross surplus decreased by 1.6% compared with 2022 to $3.7 billion in 2023. Gross surplus accounted for 13.4% of total receipts in 2023, down by 0.7 percentage point compared with 2022. Industry value added increased by 1.0% over 2022 to $18.9 billion in 2023.

     In 2023, the architectural, surveying and engineering services comprised some 2 400 establishments and engaged about 27 800 persons, or an average of 11.5 persons per establishment.

     Selected statistics for the building, construction and real estate sectors, with breakdowns by industry grouping, are shown in the attached table.

     More detailed survey results on the building, construction and real estate sectors will be given in the report "Key Statistics on Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors in 2023". Users can browse and download this report at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080011&scode=330) as from end-December 2024.

     For enquiries about the key statistics on business performance and operating characteristics of the building, construction and real estate sectors, please contact the Construction and Miscellaneous Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 6964; email: building@censtatd.gov.hk).