Merchandise exports value skids by 1%

May trade deficit hits HK$44.3 billion.

The Census & Statistics Department said Hong Kong's merchandise goods exports slipped 1% in value in May over a year earlier to HK$291.5 billion after a year-on-year increase of 9% in April.

Within this total, the value of re-exports fell 0.9% year-on-year to HK$286.7 billion, while the value of domestic exports decreased 9% to HK$4.8 billion.

After a year-on-year increase of 7.7% in April, the value of goods imports saw a 1.7% increase year-on-year to HK$335.8 billion. A visible trade deficit of HK$44.3 billion, equivalent to 13.2% of goods imports' value, was recorded in May.

For the first five months of 2013, the value of total goods exports rose 3.9% over the same period in 2012. Within this total, re-exports' value increased 4%, domestic exports' value decreased 3.5%, and goods imports' value increased 4.7%.

A visible trade deficit of $197 billion, equivalent to 12.4% of goods imports' value, was recorded in the first five months of 2013.