Police today (December 16) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Mong Kok.

     Leung Kam-sun, aged 65, went missing after he was last seen in a hostel on Ka Shin Street on December 6 afternoon. His social worker made a report to Police on December 13.  
     
     He is about 1.65 metres tall, 65 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a long face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a beige jacket, a white T-shirt, blue jeans, a blue bucket hat and carrying a black backpack.  

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8036 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 16) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Adair County of the State of Oklahoma in the United States (US), 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 63 470 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 17.2 million poultry eggs from the US in the first nine months of this year. 

     "The CFS has contacted the American 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.

     Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for October 2024 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (December 16) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.
 
     In October 2024, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 0.3% and 1.5% respectively over October 2023.
 
     Comparing the first ten months of 2024 with the same period in 2023, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 5.8% and 3.3% respectively.
 
     Comparing the three-month period ending October 2024 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods decreased by 4.5% and 0.5% respectively.
 
     Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.
 
     Comparing October 2024 with October 2023, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 3.4% and 3.0% respectively.
 
     As regards price changes in the first ten months of 2024 over the same period in 2023, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 3.8% and 3.3% respectively.
 
     Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.
 
     The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods.  Compared with the same periods in 2023, the index increased by 0.4% in October 2024 and 0.5% in the first ten months of 2024.
 
     Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.
 
     Comparing October 2024 with October 2023, increases were recorded for the total export volume to Vietnam (29.9%), the mainland of China (the Mainland) (4.4%) and the USA (1.0%).  On the other hand, the total export volume to Taiwan (-3.4%) and India (-34.0%) decreased.
 
     Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to the USA (4.4%), the Mainland (4.3%), Taiwan (3.6%) and Vietnam (1.7%) increased.  On the other hand, the total export prices to India decreased by 1.0%.
 
     Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.
 
     Comparing October 2024 with October 2023, increases were recorded for the import volume from Taiwan (11.4%), Singapore (10.5%), Japan (6.3%) and the Mainland (0.7%).  On the other hand, the import volume from Korea decreased by 13.1%.
 
     Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from all main suppliers increased: Korea (6.8%), Singapore (5.9%), Taiwan (5.1%), the Mainland (2.1%) and Japan (1.0%).
 
Further information
 
     Details of the above statistics are published in the October 2024 issue of "Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers".  Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230).
 
     Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4918).

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (December 16) the December 2024 issue of the "Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics" (HKMDS).
      
     Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains two feature articles entitled "The Four Key Industries in the Hong Kong Economy" and "Analysis of Hong Kong's External Merchandise Trade by Industry".
      
"The Four Key Industries in the Hong Kong Economy"
      
     The Government has been actively pursuing economic development in order to keep up the competitive advantage of Hong Kong. The traditional Four Key Industries in Hong Kong, namely financial services, tourism, trading and logistics, and professional and producer services, have been the driving force of Hong Kong's economic growth, providing impetus to growth of other sectors and creating employment. 
      
     This feature article analyses the economic contribution and employment situation in respect of the Four Key Industries in 2023. Taken together, the share of the total value added of the Four Key Industries in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 57.1%, while the percentage share of total employment was 42.4%.
      
     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the National Income Branch (2) of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7002; email: gdp-p@censtatd.gov.hk).
      
"Analysis of Hong Kong's External Merchandise Trade by Industry"
      
     The C&SD has compiled a set of statistics on trade by industry of importers/exporters in order to provide insights into the external merchandise trading activities of individual industries.
      
     In 2023, "transportation, storage, postal and courier services" and "import/export and wholesale trades" were the two major industries, together contributing about 92% of the total trade value. On the export side, the contribution of small and medium sized enterprises in these two industries was 52% and 62% of their respective exports.
      
     This feature article also presents further analyses of imports and exports of major industries by major trading partner and major commodity group.
      
     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4914; email: trade@censtatd.gov.hk).
      
     Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 130 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1010002&scode=460).
      
     Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).

     Police will implement special traffic arrangements in So Kon Po and Causeway Bay to facilitate a football match to be held at the Hong Kong Stadium on December 17 (Tuesday).

A.    Traffic arrangements at the commencement of the event

    Depending on the crowd and traffic conditions, the following traffic arrangements will be implemented from about 5.30pm:

Road closure
———————–

– Caroline Hill Road between its eastern junction with Leighton Road and Cotton Path;
– Part of the traffic lane of Caroline Hill Road between Eastern Hospital Road and Cotton Path;
– Westbound Hysan Avenue between Yun Ping Road and Hoi Ping Road;
– Stadium Path; and
– Lee Garden Road between Lan Fong Road and Hysan Avenue, except for green minibuses (GMBs).
 
Traffic diversions
———————————–

– Caroline Hill Road between its western junction with Leighton Road and Stadium Path will be re-routed one way southbound;
– Eastern Hospital Road between Stadium Path and Tung Lo Wan Road will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Caroline Hill Road between its western junction with Leighton Road and Link Road will have two lanes for traffic entering Caroline Hill Road from Hoi Ping Road;
– Hysan Avenue between Leighton Road and Hoi Ping Road will be re-routed one way eastbound;
– Eastbound Hysan Avenue will have two lanes for traffic turning right to Hoi Ping Road;
– Vehicles leaving the private driveway of Lee Garden One must turn left to eastbound Hysan Avenue;
– Traffic along Yun Ping Road cannot turn left to westbound Hysan Avenue, and vehicles will be diverted to Lan Fong Road and Pak Sha Road;
– If necessary, traffic along northbound Link Road downhill to northbound Caroline Hill Road must turn left to westbound Leighton Road; and
– If necessary, traffic along Lan Fong Road cannot turn left to southbound Lee Garden Road, and vehicles will be diverted to northbound Lee Garden Road, Foo Ming Street and southbound Percival Street, except for GMBs.

Passenger alighting arrangements
—————————————————————

     The drop-off zone for taxis and private cars will be arranged to set down passengers at the locations specified below:

– Western kerbside of Caroline Hill Road near the Disciplined Service Sports and Recreation Club;
– Northern kerbside of Cotton Path; and
– Southern kerbside (taxi drop-off zone) and northern kerbside (private car drop-off zone) of Eastern Hospital Road near the main entrance of Hong Kong Stadium.

B. Traffic arrangements on conclusion of the event
 
     Depending on the crowd and traffic conditions, the following traffic arrangements will be implemented from about 9.30pm:

Road closure
———————–

– Caroline Hill Road;
– Eastern Hospital Road between Caroline Hill Road and Cotton Path;
– Hoi Ping Road;
– Sunning Road, except for vehicles exit from Lee Garden Three Car Park;
– If necessary, Cotton Path, Leighton Road, and northbound Link Road (downhill), except for vehicles heading for No. 1, 3, 5 and 7 on Link Road.

Traffic diversions
———————————–

– Before the end of the event, vehicles may be permitted to leave the South China Athletic Association car parks by turning right at the western exit to northbound Caroline Hill Road;
– Before the end of the event, vehicles may be permitted to exit buildings on Eastern Hospital Road by turning right to northbound Eastern Hospital Road;
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road cannot enter Caroline Hill Road for Link Road, and vehicles will be diverted via Wong Nai Chung Road and Broadwood Road; and
– When Leighton Road is closed, traffic along westbound Causeway Road will be diverted via Irving Street; traffic along eastbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted via Canal Road West; traffic along southbound Percival Street must turn right to westbound Leighton Road; and traffic along southbound Canal Road East cannot turn left to Leighton Road.

C. Traffic arrangements throughout the event

Prohibition for learner drivers
——————————–

     From 5pm to 11pm, learner drivers cannot enter Tung Lo Wan Road from Causeway Road. The following roads will also be prohibited to all learner drivers:
 
– Westbound Leighton Road;
– Percival Street south of Hennessy Road;
– Caroline Hill Road;
– Link Road;
– Stadium Path;
– Cotton Path;
– Eastern Hospital Road; and
– Eastern Hospital Road service road.

Suspension of parking spaces
—————————-
 
     All on-street parking spaces on the following roads will be suspended from 5pm to 11pm:

– Stadium Path;
– Northbound Caroline Hill Road between Stadium Path and Cotton Path;
– Hoi Ping Road;
– Sunning Road; and
– Eastern Hospital Road service road.

Restrictions on access to / exit from car parks
———————————————–

     If necessary, all car parks along Caroline Hill Road, Eastern Hospital Road, Stadium Path and Cotton Path may be closed at short notice.

     Vehicles in car parks within the road closure area may not be permitted to leave during the road closure period.

     All vehicles parked illegally during the implementation of the above special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.  

     Actual implementation of traffic arrangements will depend on the traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Members of the public are advised to exercise tolerance and patience and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.