A reapraisal of the capital goods sector in Hong Kong: The case for free trade

This paper was provoked by an earlier one by Fransman (1982) in which he examined the functioning of the capital goods sector in Hong Kong and came to the conclusion that it needed special protection by the government to allow it to reap the benefits of externalities essential for increasing its design and production capabilities. Statistical evidence is provided indicating that the capital goods sector as conventionally defined is prospering. Even following Fransman (1982), and equating the capital goods sector with the machine-producing sector, the latest survey of production indicates considerable dynamism. His case for infant industry protection is further weakened by consideration of the nature of the particular industrial structure of Hong Kong and the quality of the social relations that prevail between entrepreneurs. It is argued that the costs of singling out the capital goods sector for special treatment in terms of the impact of the highly competitive export-oriented manufacturing sector are likely to be high, while the theoretical benefits from externalities are liable to be illusory in a small economy.