Hong Kong Trade Gap Widens In December

(RTTNews) - Hong Kong's foreign trade deficit increased notably in December from a year ago as imports grew faster than exports, data from the Census and Statistics Department showed on Tuesday.

The trade gap widened to HK$63.3 billion in December from HK34.5 billion in the same month last year. The trade shortfall also rose from HK$48.5 billion in November. The visible trade deficit of HK$63.3 billion was equivalent to 11.0 percent of the value of imports.

The annual increase in exports was 26.1 percent in December, versus an 18.8 percent growth in November.

Exports to the Mainland of China alone expanded by 24.9 percent from last year.

Total exports to Asia as a whole grew by 26.6 percent. Within this, shipments to Malaysia advanced the most, by 138.6 percent. This was followed by the Thailand with a 76.6 percent jump in exports.

Apart from destinations in Asia, outflows to the Switzerland expanded 48.8 percent, and those to the USA were 47.5 percent higher.

Imports logged an annual decrease of 30.6 percent in December, following an 18.1 percent gain in the prior month. Imports from Vietnam surged 164.1 percent, and those from the United Kingdom were up 41.6 percent.

For 2025 as a whole, the value of total exports of goods increased by 15.4 percent compared to 2024, and imports climbed by 15.5 percent. A visible trade deficit of HK$ 446.6 billion, equivalent to 7.9 percent of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in 2025.