They generally expect some increases in the volume of orders in the second half of 2000 compared with the same period in 1999. On the other hand, most of the manufacturers in the wearing apparel and fabricated metal products industries expect little change in the volume of orders, while manufacturers in the textiles industry generally anticipate little change or some decreases in the volume of orders. In general, manufacturers anticipate capacity utilization to remain stable in the second half of 2000 compared with the first half. Profit margins are however forecast to be slightly lower in the second half of 2000 compared with the same period in 1999. On export performance, exporters are generally more optimistic about their business in the second half of 2000 than they were at the beginning of the year.
Bankers are also optimistic about the trade outlook.
They generally expect some increases in the value of total exports in the second half of 2000. As for construction firms, they generally anticipate some increases in the volume of construction output in the second half of 2000 compared with the same period in 1999. A spokesman of the department cautioned that, in a survey of this nature, the results should be interpreted with care as it is difficult to establish precisely the extent to which respondents' perception of the future accords with the underlying trends. Regular subscription may also be arranged. Enquiries about the survey results may be made to the Building, Construction and Real Estate Statistics Section of the Census and Statistics Department at telephone number 2805 6426.