Outward bound: More than $105 billion worth of Hong Kong's total exports to the Mainland in the fourth quarter last year were for outward processing, representing a 1% decrease over the same period of 2005.

Thirty-three per cent of Hong Kong's total exports to the Mainland were for outward processing in the fourth quarter last year, down from 39% in the same period of 2005.

The Census & Statistics Department said domestic exports for outward processing accounted for 43% of the total, and re-exports for 33%.

The quarter also saw 62% of imports from the Mainland related to outward processing, and 79% of re-exports of Mainland origin to other places were produced through outward processing on the Mainland.

In the whole of 2006, 35% of Hong Kong's total exports to the Mainland were for outward processing, down from 38% in 2005. The figure was 52% for domestic exports and 35% for re-exports.

Last year 64% of Hong Kong's imports from the Mainland were related to outward processing, while 81% of Hong Kong's re-exports of Mainland origin to other places were produced through outward processing in the Mainland.

In value terms, $105.2 billion of Hong Kong's total exports to the Mainland in the fourth quarter last year were for outward processing, representing a 1% decrease over the same period of 2005.

Domestic exports plummet

Within the total, domestic exports plummeted 42% to $4.2 billion while re-exports rose 2% to $101 billion.

The same quarter saw the imports from the Mainland related to outward processing rise 10%, to $205.4 billion. Hong Kong's re-exports of Mainland origin to other places produced through outward processing in the Mainland increased 11% to $219.8 billion.