Hong Kong’s trade deficit widened to $71.2 billion in August 2026 from $25.4 billion in the same month a year earlier. It marked the largest trade shortfall since March, as imports surged 60% year-on-year to a record $739.1 billion, driven primarily by soaring purchases of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (64.5%) and telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (50.4%). Imports were particularly strong from Mainland China (54.1%) and South Korea (265.8%). Meanwhile, exports rose 53% year-on-year to $667.9 billion, led by higher sales of electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof (62.6%) and office machines and automatic data processing machines (131%). Exports to Asia jumped 59.2%, while shipments to other key markets, including Mexico (68.8%) and the US (64.2%), also recorded strong gains. In the first eight months of 2026, Hong Kong's trade deficit totaled $371.2 billion.