HK trade surges by over 40pc in May

Hong Kong’s external merchandise trade maintained its robust upward momentum in May, with both exports and imports recording year-on-year increases of more than 40 percent — a performance that officials attribute largely to surging global demand for artificial intelligence-related electronics.

According to data released on Thursday by the Census and Statistics Department, the value of total goods exports jumped 40.8 percent to reach HK$611.2 billion, while imports climbed 42 percent to HK$655.4 billion.

The figures build on April's gains of 42.9 percent and 44.4 percent respectively, reinforcing a sustained growth trajectory for the city’s trade sector.

Driving the export surge was the category of "electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof", which accounted for the bulk of the increase.

Compared with May of last year, this segment rose by HK$114.3 billion — representing a gain of just over 56 percent.

Exports of "office machines and automatic data processing machines" and "telecommunications and sound recording equipment" also posted notable advances, climbing more than 50 percent and 37 percent respectively.

On the import side, major supplying economies recorded substantial gains, led by India, Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Despite the strong export performance, imports continued to outpace outbound shipments, leaving Hong Kong with a visible trade deficit of HK$44.2 billion for May — equivalent to 6.7 percent of the value of imports.

Over the first five months of 2026, the cumulative shortfall reached HK$242.2 billion.

Looking ahead, a government spokesman noted that "still-vibrant global demand for AI-related electronic products should continue to support Hong Kong's merchandise trade performance".

While acknowledging that the recent easing of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East has offered some near-term relief to the global outlook, the spokesman added that "headwinds remain", and pledged that authorities would stay vigilant to external risks.

Edited by Tony Sabine ...