News

Total exports volume up 5.4% in February

Total exports volume up 5.4% in February

Exports to Vietnam, Taiwan and China saw double-digit increases.

Unemployment rate widens to 4.2% in Q1

Food and beverage suffered the most with an 8.6% increase in unemployment rate.

Citibank launches special personal loan

Clients can apply for loans up to $30,000.

Cathay Pacific's passenger count drops 90% in March

Revenue passenger kilometres likewise fell by 84.3%.

Citi rolls out relief measures for customers

Clients are offered a one-month maturity extension for import trade loans.

Residential volumes tread new lows

COVID-19 hits luxury transactions harder than the mass market.

Hong Kong's leaders see combined income cut of 20% on virus

A portion of the income has been donated to a charity organisation.

Hong Kong may release more financial stimulus packages in 2020

Fiscal deficit of 9.5% of GDP to be expected this year due to additional spendings.

Worsening unemployment weighs on housing prices: JLL

Potential buyers will retreat on house buying.

Office market end users hold back investments due to COVID-19 outbreak

General market declined by 4.1% whilst commercial volumes fell.

Hong Kong named 5th largest IPO market

Hong Kong IPOs remained resilient in Q1 2020.

Gross national income up 1.6% to $3.02t in 2019

Hong Kong recorded a net primary income inflow of $148.2b.

Retail sales down 44% to $22.7b in February

The sector took a blow from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Home prices fall the most in 15 months as virus spreads

This marks the third consecutive month of decline.

Hong Kong ranks 8th amongst favoured cities for cross-border investment

Around 75% of investors have retained appetite towards real estate.

Government to introduce second round of financial assistance

But SMEs could suffer from the new measures to control the COVID-19 outbreak. Hong Kong's government will introduce a second round of financial assistance for businesses hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung. The government already released a first aid package last month to support affected businesses and individuals. The Epidemic Prevention Fund will be used to protect workers and stabilise the challenges the economy faces. The government also imposed strict measures to curb the effect of the outbreak, including a 14-day ban on foreign non-residents, restricting public gatherings, and closing public spaces. All international arrivals will be subjected to a 14-day self-quarantine. However, Financial Secretary Paul Chan added that these measures could worsen the condition of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and could increase the risk of layoffs and closures. Chan said he expects a massive drop in retail sales figures, and it may not be possible for the city's economy to rebound as quickly as it did following the SARS epidemic in 2003.