HK December exports value up 0.6%; imports up 1.9%

    Hong Kong's value of total exports of goods (comprising re-exports and domestic exports) rose 0.6% in December 2014 over a year earlier to HK$312.8 billion, after a year-on-year increase of 0.4% in November 2014, according to the Census and Statistics Department. 
  Within this total, the value of re-exports edged up 0.8% to HK$308.7 billion in December 2014, whereas the value of domestic exports dropped 11.9% to $4.1 billion. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods grew 1.9% over a year earlier to HK$372 billion in December 2014, after a year-on-year increase of 2.4% in November 2014. A visible trade deficit of HK$59.3 billion, equivalent to 15.9% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in December 2014.
  For 2014 as a whole, the value of total exports of goods rose by 3.2% over 2013. Within this total, the value of re-exports grew 3.2%, while the value of domestic exports increased by 1.7%. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods rose 3.9%. A visible trade deficit of HK$546.3 billion, equivalent to 12.9% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in 2014.
  A Government spokesman commented that looking ahead, the external environment would still be rather unsteady, given the headwinds from the fragile economic situations in some advanced markets, monetary policy divergence among major central banks and geopolitical tensions in various regions. This is likely to continue to constrain Hong Kong's near-term export performance.