A 2005 annual survey shows the total receipts of the import and export trade increased to 2.63 trillion HK dollars (337.18 billion U.S. dollars), a 13 percent increase, Hong Kong's Census & Statistics Department said Friday. Gross surplus -- total receipts less total operating expenditure -- accounted for 7.8 percent of the total receipts, up from 6.9 percent in 2004. Value-added -- a measure of its contribution to the GDP -- increased 16.9 percent to 306 billion HK dollars (39.23 billion U.S. dollars).

The survey also shows total receipts of other four sectors -- hotels and boarding houses, wholesale trade, retail trade and restaurants -- increased 12.2 percent in aggregate over a year earlier.

The total receipts of the hotels and boarding houses industry reach 20 billion HK dollars (2.56 billion U.S. dollars), a 19.8 percent rise. Gross surplus accounted for 28.8 percent of total receipts, virtually unchanged from 2004. Value-added increased 23.4 percent to 13 billion HK dollars (1.67 billion U.S. dollars).

The total receipts of the wholesale trade were 168 billion HK dollars (21.54 billion U.S. dollars), up 9.3 percent. Gross surplus accounted for 3.1 percent of them, down from 3.3 percent in 2004. Value-added fell 1.5 percent to 13 billion HK dollars (1. 67 billion U.S. dollars).

The total receipts of the retail trade amounted to 234 billion HK dollars (30 billion U.S. dollars), a growth of 8 percent. Gross surplus accounted for 7.2 percent of them, down from 7.5 percent in 2004. Value-added increased 5.7 percent over the year to 36 billion HK dollars (4.62 billion U.S. dollars).

The total receipts of the restaurants trade grew 5.7 percent to 64 billion HK dollars (8.21 billion U.S. dollars). Gross surplus accounted for 5.2 percent of them, up from 4 percent in 2004. Value-added increased 4.7 percent over the year earlier to 22 billion HK dollars (2.82 billion U.S. dollars).

Source: Xinhua