Hong Kong's manufacturing sector recorded a gross output of 157.6 billion HK dollars (20.3 billion US dollars) in 2004, up 0.8 percent from a year earlier, Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department said on Thursday.

The department said in its results of the 2004 annual survey of industrial production published Thursday that the sector's gross surplus rose 8 percent to 18.7 billion HK dollars (2.41 billion US dollars).

Within the manufacturing sector, the five largest broad industry groups in terms of value added were: paper products, printing and publishing; basic metals, fabricated metal products, machinery and equipment; food, beverages and tobacco; textiles; and wearing apparel.

They together accounted for 79.7 percent of the total value added of the whole sector.

Comparing 2004 with a year earlier, increases in value added were observed mainly in the basic metals, fabricated metal products as well as machinery and equipment industry.

Source: Xinhua