HK exports value down 2.3% to HK$285.3bn in April

    Hong Kong's value of total exports of goods (comprising re-exports and domestic exports) decreased by 2.3% over a year earlier to HK$285.3 billion in April, after a year-on-year decrease of 7% in March, according to the Census and Statistics Department.
  Within this total, the value of re-exports dropped 2% to HK$281.9 billion in April, while the value of domestic exports declined 19% to HK$3.4 billion. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods fell 4.5% over a year earlier to HK$316.3 billion in April, after a year-on-year decrease of 5.8% in March. A visible trade deficit of HK$31 billion, equivalent to 9.8% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in April.
  For the first four months of 2016 as a whole, the value of total exports of goods dropped 5.6% over the same period in 2015. Within this total, the value of re-exports decreased 5.5%, while the value of domestic exports declined 16.2%. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods fell 7.2%. A visible trade deficit of HK$128.2 billion, equivalent to 10.7% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in the first four months of 2016.
  A Government spokesman noted that the value of merchandise exports recorded a narrower year-on-year rate of decline in April, with the EU and some Asian markets showing more discernible improvements. The spokesman commented further that looking ahead, Hong Kong's export performance will hinge on whether the advanced economies will continue to improve and provide impetus to trade flows in Asia. However, the uncertainties in the external environment are still notable, including those originating from monetary policy normalisation in the US, diverging monetary policy stances among major central banks, and geopolitical tensions.