Imports value edged up a tad 1.8% in December

Trade deficit sits at $54.4b.

According to a release, Hong Kong’s total goods imports' value in December recorded a 1.8% year-on-year increase while total exports remained virtually unchanged.

The Census & Statistics Department said the value of total goods exports - re-exports and domestic exports - remained virtually unchanged from a year earlier at $310.9 billion, after a year-on-year increase of 5.8% in November.

Within this total, re-exports' value increased 0.1% to $306.3 billion, while domestic exports' value fell 7.9% to $4.6 billion. Goods imports' value rose 1.8% over a year earlier to $365.2 billion, after a 5.2% year-on-year increase in November.

A visible trade deficit of $54.4 billion, equivalent to 14.9% of goods imports' value, was recorded in December.

For 2013 as a whole, total goods exports' value rose 3.6% over 2012. Within this total, re-exports' value rose 3.8%, while domestic exports' value dropped 7.6%. Goods imports' value rose 3.8%.

A visible trade deficit of $501 billion, equivalent to 12.3% goods imports' value, was recorded last year.

Comparing the fourth quarter of 2013 with the preceding quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, total goods exports' value rose 6.5%. Within this total, re-exports' value rose 6.6%, while domestic exports' value fell 0.6%. Goods imports' value rose 6.1%.