But clearly the heavy lifting will be done by electronic machinery.

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It is a major exporter of machinery and electronic components, agricultural commodities, and jewellery.

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Crump studied mechanical engineering at Washington State University before starting his own company, an oddball maker of automated packaging machinery and large electronic scales.

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But in the past few years the trucks have begun transporting more machinery for factories and electronic products such as television sets for a small but affluent elite.

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It is already possible to power small electronic devices, such as wireless sensors installed in buildings and industrial machinery, using a dedicated microwave transmitter nearby.

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Manufacturing industries reporting contraction in July included manufacturers of wood and paper products, computer and electronic products, textile mills, chemical products, transportation equipment and machinery.

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