Hong Kong’s total export value in April increased 2.2% while the value of imports dropped 2.9% year-on-year, the Census & Statistics Department announced recently.
The value of total goods exports increased to HK$291.9 billion from a year earlier, after a year-on-year decrease of 1.8% in March, according to a news report by Hong Kong’s Information Services Department.
Of this total, the value of reexports increased 2.5% to $287.7 billion, while domestic exports decreased 13.7% to $4.2 billion. The value of goods imports fell 2.9% to $331.1 billion, after a year-on-year decrease of 2.7% in March.
A visible trade deficit of $39.2 billion, equivalent to 11.8% of the value of goods imports, was recorded in April.
Comparing the three-month period ending April with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of total goods exports decreased 1%. Of this total, the value of reexports decreased by 0.9%, while that of domestic exports fell 4.7%. The value of goods imports dropped 1.2%.
“Exports to the US fared better, but those to the EU stayed subdued and Asian markets as a whole grew only mildly, reflecting the uneven recovery in the advanced economies and their spillover onto the Asian economies,” a government spokesman said.
“Looking ahead, Hong Kong’s external trade performance is likely to remain constrained by the unsteady external environment. Uncertainties stemming from the diverging monetary policy among major central banks, the Greek debt problem, and geopolitical tensions in various regions will also add to the external headwinds. The government will monitor the situation closely.”
Photo: chensiyuan
