Exports rise 14.5% YoY in August

Imports also increased 11.5% YoY.

Hong Kong’s merchandise exports grew 14.5% year-on-year in August, reaching $436.6b, the Census and Statistics Department reported.

Imports also grew, reaching $462b, up 11.5% year-on-year, resulting in a visible trade deficit of $25.4b, equivalent to 5.5% of imports.

For the first eight months of 2025, exports increased 13% compared with the same period in 2024, matching the growth in imports.

During this period, the cumulative trade deficit amounted to $243.3b, or 6.8% of imports. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the three months ending August saw exports decrease by 2.9% and imports by 2.0% compared with the previous three months.

Exports to Asia grew 12.6% year-on-year in August, with particularly strong gains to Malaysia (+73.6%), Vietnam (+54.3%), the Philippines (+36.9%), Taiwan (+33.7%), Thailand (+28.9%), and the Mainland (+8.2%).

Exports to other major destinations also rose, including the Netherlands (+65.7%), the United Kingdom (+55.8%), and the United States (+17.3%).

Imports grew from most major suppliers, notably Vietnam (+80.8%), Malaysia (+14.6%), Japan (+13.3%), the Mainland (+12.4%), and Taiwan (+5.5%), while imports from Korea fell 11.5%.

By commodity, exports of electrical machinery and parts increased 15.7% in August, and exports of telecommunications and sound recording equipment rose 23.9% compared with a year earlier.

Imports of the same categories also increased, with electrical machinery up 15.2% and telecommunications equipment up 32.4%.

For the first eight months of 2025, exports of electrical machinery and parts rose 14.9% to $209.9b, whilst office machines and automatic data processing equipment increased 37.6% to $125.8b.

A government spokesman said exports to the Mainland and other Asian markets remained strong, whilst Western markets returned to growth.

Continued economic growth in Asia, especially the Mainland, is expected to support Hong Kong’s exports, though U.S. trade policy may affect short-term trade flows.