Census and Statistics Department figures on Monday showed that exports rose for the 14th month in a row, up by 14.7 per cent year on year to HK$434.5 billion in April.
That was 3.8 per cent lower compared with the 18.5 per cent annual growth seen in March but reflected a maintenance of the growth momentum despite the impact from high US tariffs.
Imports rose for a fourth consecutive month, increasing by 15.8 per cent year on year to HK$450 billion, compared with the 16.6 per cent annual growth seen in March.
The latest figures left the city with a visible trade deficit of almost HK$16 billion, or 3.6 per cent of the value of imports of goods.
By region, total exports to Asia as a whole grew notably by 20.8 per cent year on year, with
imports by Malaysia rocketing up by more than 61 per cent and followed not far behind by Vietnam’s 48 per cent.
Exports to the United States also remained in the expansion territory but rose by only 1 per cent.
Exports to Netherlands, the UK and South Korea, however, fell between 24 and 38 per cent.
The city imported heavily from Vietnam last month, as the total value of imports from the country more than doubled.
Looking ahead, a government’s spokesperson noted that “as international trade tensions have eased somewhat of late, the headwinds and uncertainties in the external environment have lessened to some extent”.
“The government will continue to closely monitor changes in the external environment and stay vigilant to the potential impacts brought about by shifts in trade policies,” the spokesperson added.
For the first months of the year, exports grew by 11.9 percent year on year while imports advanced by 11.4 percent.
