Laboratory and Scientific Instruments
Hong Kong
Overview
| x | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 (estimated) |
| Total Market Size | 194 | 160 | 250 |
| Total Local Production | 300 | 350 | 350 |
| Total Exports | 2254 | 2438 | 2400 |
| Total Imports | 2148 | 2248 | 2300 |
| Imports from the U.S. | 442 | 462 |
500 |
Source: Hong Kong Census & Statistics Department
All figures are in US$ millions, and they are unofficial estimates.
US$1=HK$7.75
Hong Kong relies on imported analytical instruments to sustain the growth of its industrial testing and inspection industry, which is crucial to biotech, Chinese medicine, environmental technology, textile, industrial machinery, toy, and consumer electronic industries. The United States is a leading supplier of imported high-end instruments.
Best Products/Services
The best products are instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis (e.g.: polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus); instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension; and instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light. Imports in these product categories are growing. The United States has been able to capitalize on market growth and supplied more than US$462 million worth of products in 2005, 20 percent of the total imports in these product categories.
Opportunities
Hong Kong’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have shifted their production base to southern China. Some of these enterprises run their own in-house laboratories and require testing instruments.
To assist those Hong Kong SMEs to build their own brands and shorten their product development cycles, Shenzhen’s Quality Supervision Bureau and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce have drawn up policies and measures to encourage private investment in testing and calibration facilities by simplifying existing approval procedures for the establishment of such testing centers. They are also encouraging private investors to rebuild existing testing facilities, which are mostly Chinese government-owned.
As a major transshipment center for China, Hong Kong will largely be acting as the laboratory equipment-sourcing agent for these testing and calibration facilities.
Resources
Trade Shows:
Asian Industrial Expo 2007
Date: June 2007
Venue: Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center
Website: http://www.bitf.com.hk/eng/exhibitions.htm
Trade Associations:
Hong Kong Association of Certification Laboratories
Website: www.hkacl.org
Hong Kong Accreditation Services
Website: www.info.gov.hk/itc/eng/quality/hkas/hkas.shtml
Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency
Website: www.hkqaa.org
Hong Kong Commercial Specialist’s Contact:
Olevia Yim
Email: olevia.yim@mail.doc.gov
Tel: (852) 2521-6166; Fax: (852) 2810-0970