Total exports up 6% to $360.7b in December

Imports also rose 9% to $420.6b over the same period.

Hong Kong’s external trade indices closed the year on a high note as total exports rose 6% YoY to $360.7b in December, according to merchandise trade statistics from the Census and Statistics Department. 

For the year as a whole, the value of merchandise exports rose by 8%, marking the fastest annual growth in six years. 

Total exports to major trade destinations also rose including India (66.6%), Germany (28.7%), the Philippines (22.8%), Thailand (19.8%), USA (11.5%), Japan (10.8%), Malaysia (10.5%) and the Mainland (1.7%).

On the other hand, decreases were recorded in the values of total exports to Taiwan (-10.1%), Singapore (-9.1%) and United Kingdom (-3.3%). 

Exports of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances and electrical parts rose 6.8% to $8.1b followed by non-metallic mineral manufactures which rose 50.7% to $7.2b and office and automatic data-processing machines which contributed $3.6b. 

Total imports also rose 9% YoY to $420.6b in December. Growth was recorded in import values from most major suppliers, in particular Malaysia (+60.7%), Taiwan (+30.3%), Korea (+17.6%), Thailand (+14.6%), the USA (+9.8%) and the Mainland (4.2%).