Hong Kong’s exports and imports both surged over 40 percent in April, blowing past estimates, official data showed, as ongoing robust global demand for AI-related electronics products outweighed external uncertainties.
The value of total exports of goods increased by 42.9 percent to HK$620.9 billion last month, following a 35.8 percent rise in March, according to the Census and Statistics Department.
It was also far above economists’ projection for a 31 percent growth in April.
Imports increased by 44.4 percent from a year earlier, versus a projected gain of 41.7 percent, after rising 41.2 percent in March.
A visible trade deficit of HK$29.5 billion, equivalent to 4.5 percent of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in the month.
For the first four months of 2026 as a whole, outbound shipment value jumped by 35 percent from 2025, while imports grew by 38.9 percent.
In addition to the particularly strong export growth to Asian markets such as the mainland (+40.7 percent) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, exports to the United States (+37.5 percent) and the United Kingdom (+88.8 percent) also recorded very notable gains in April, the department said.
By commodity, exports of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts soared by HK$105.5 billion, or 49.5 percent in value in April, followed by a HK$26.5 billion, or 54.6 percent rise in telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment.
Looking ahead, resilient global demand for AI-related electronic products should provide continued support to Hong Kong's merchandise trade performance, a government spokesman said.
Yet, heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East could pose a salient risk in the near term through disrupting supply chains, driving up transport costs, and undermining global demand, the spokesman added.
