Hong Kong Trade Development Council survey: Hong Kong's exports are expected to grow by 8% to 9% year-on-year next year.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council released its fourth quarter export confidence index survey, expecting Hong Kong's exports to grow by 8% to 9% year-on-year next year, primarily driven by strong demand for AI-related electronic products. The survey found that 53.2% of surveyed exporters believe that the rising demand for AI or new technology-related electronic consumer goods will be the main driving force for business growth next year, with electronic products currently accounting for over 70% of Hong Kong's total exports. In addition, the current and expected export confidence indices for Hong Kong have both fallen in the quarter, with the current index dropping from 53.3 in the third quarter to 51.4, and the expected index decreasing from 54.3 to 51.9. However, they still remain in the expansion range above 50 points, indicating that exports are expected to continue growing. Alice Tsang, Director of Research at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, stated that the global export outlook for next year is expected to become clearer, mainly benefiting from the trade agreement reached between the US and China in November, with US tariffs no longer being one of the top three concerns for Hong Kong exporters next year. Tsang also pointed out that the tariff rates on goods exported from mainland China to the US have been reduced compared to before. The current additional tariff rates have enabled many Chinese suppliers to maintain competitiveness similar to their counterparts in Southeast Asia.