Hong Kong recorded a trade deficit of $14.1 billion in January 2026, swinging from a surplus of $2.1 billion in the same month a year earlier. Imports surged 38.1% year-on-year to $534.7 billion, primarily driven by higher purchases of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (44.8%), as well as telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (80%). Imports rose the most from Mainland China (46.6%), Taiwan (3.3%), and Singapore (42.8%). Meanwhile, exports soared 33.8% year-on-year to a new record high of $520.6 billion, largely driven by increased sales of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (39.4%), along with telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (51.9%). Exports recorded the largest gains to Mainland China (40.6%), the US (23.3%), Taiwan (88.8%), and Vietnam (31.0%). source: Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong

Hong Kong recorded a trade deficit of 14094 HKD Million in January of 2026. Balance of Trade in Hong Kong averaged -10208.57 HKD Million from 1952 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 7228.00 HKD Million in January of 2009 and a record low of -68533.00 HKD Million in June of 2022. This page provides the latest reported value for - Hong Kong Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Hong Kong Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Hong Kong recorded a trade deficit of 14094 HKD Million in January of 2026. Balance of Trade in Hong Kong is expected to be -43000.00 HKD Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Hong Kong Balance of Trade is projected to trend around -31000.00 HKD Million in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-01-27 08:30 AM
Balance of Trade
Dec H$-63.3B H$-48.5B H$ -35B
2026-02-27 08:30 AM
Balance of Trade
Jan H$-14.1B H$-63.3B H$-2.0B
2026-03-26 08:30 AM
Balance of Trade
Feb H$-14.1B H$-16.0B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade -14094.00 -63253.00 HKD Million Jan 2026
Capital Flows 134420.00 126555.00 HKD Million Sep 2025
Current Account 98175.00 95808.00 HKD Million Sep 2025
Current Account to GDP 11.50 7.70 percent of GDP Dec 2024
Exports 520564.00 512795.00 HKD Million Jan 2026
Exports YoY 33.80 26.10 percent Jan 2026
External Debt 15746080.00 15463551.00 HKD Million Sep 2025
Foreign Direct Investment 20783.30 20178.29 HKD Billion Sep 2025
Imports 534659.00 576048.00 HKD Million Jan 2026
Imports YoY 38.10 30.60 percent Jan 2026
Terms of Trade 99.40 100.60 points Dec 2025
Tourist Arrivals 4645397.00 4189272.00 Dec 2025


Hong Kong Balance of Trade
Since the late 1990’s Hong Kong has been recording trade deficits, as imports grew at a faster pace than exports. Hong Kong major exports are electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances; telecommunications and sound equipment and automatic data processing machines. The country imports mainly machinery and transport equipment; miscellaneous manufactured articles; manufactured goods and food and live animals. Main trading partner is China (40 percent of total exports and 47 percent of total imports). Others include: Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-14094.00 -63253.00 7228.00 -68533.00 1952 - 2026 HKD Million Monthly

News Stream
Hong Kong Trade Deficit Swings to Deficit
Hong Kong recorded a trade deficit of $14.1 billion in January 2026, swinging from a surplus of $2.1 billion in the same month a year earlier. Imports surged 38.1% year-on-year to $534.7 billion, primarily driven by higher purchases of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (44.8%), as well as telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (80%). Imports rose the most from Mainland China (46.6%), Taiwan (3.3%), and Singapore (42.8%). Meanwhile, exports soared 33.8% year-on-year to a new record high of $520.6 billion, largely driven by increased sales of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (39.4%), along with telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (51.9%). Exports recorded the largest gains to Mainland China (40.6%), the US (23.3%), Taiwan (88.8%), and Vietnam (31.0%).
2026-02-27
Hong Kong Trade Deficit Largest Since 2023
Hong Kong’s trade deficit widened sharply to $63.25 billion in December 2025, from $34.5 billion in the same month a year earlier, marking the largest trade gap since September 2023. Imports surged 30.6% year-on-year to an all-time high of $576.05 billion, mainly driven by higher purchases of electrical machinery, apparatus, and appliances, and electrical parts (27.9%), and telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing equipment (59.6%). Imports rose the most from China (33.9%), Taiwan (30.8%), and Singapore (17.2%). Meanwhile, exports increased 26.1% year-on-year to a record peak of $512.8 billion, supported by higher shipments of electrical machinery and parts (30.7%) and telecommunications and sound recording equipment (46.8%). Exports recorded the largest gains to China (24.9%), the US (47.5%), and Vietnam (29.4%). For the full year of 2025, Hong Kong’s trade deficit reached $446.6 billion, with exports rising 15.4% and imports increasing 15.5%.
2026-01-27
Hong Kong Trade Deficit Widens in November
Hong Kong's trade deficit widened to $48.5 billion in November 2025, from $43.4 billion in the same month of the previous year. Exports rose 18.8% year-on-year to $468.9 billion, mainly driven by higher sales of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (+15.9%) and telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (+36.8%). Exports rose the most to US (+44.4%), Malaysia (+72.0%), Vietnam (+54.9%), and Netherlands (+36.4%). Meanwhile, imports grew 18.1% to $517.4 billion, mainly due to increased purchases of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (+16.9%) and telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (+34.3%). Imports increased the most from Vietnam (+102.3%), Malaysia (+21.5%) and the US (+17.8%). For the first eleven months of the year, the cumulative trade deficit reached $382.8 billion, with exports rising by 14.3% and imports growing by 14.1%.
2025-12-29