The value of manufacturers' orders on hand for local production decreased 17% in March compared with a year earlier, according to the Census & Statistics Department.

Comparing on a year-on-year basis, the electrical products industry had the largest decrease in the value of orders on hand (-37%) in March, followed by the fabricated metal products industry (-36%), the electronic products industry (-30%), the textiles industry (-12%), the wearing apparel industry (-9%), and the plastic products industry (-8%).

On the other hand, the value of orders on hand in the printing and publishing industry increased 7%.

On a seasonally-adjusted basis, the value of orders on hand for the three months ending March decreased 7% compared with the three months ending December 2002.

The linked table shows the movement in the value of orders on hand in the manufacturing industries.