Hong Kong's exports jump 64.9% in September, the fastest growth in more than 40 years

Imports rose 57.8% to HK$808.9 billion, leaving a trade deficit of HK$46.3 billion, according to provisional figures from the Census and Statistics Department. A government spokesman said it was the fastest year-on-year export growth in more than four decades and the 20th straight month of double-digit gains; the South China Morning Post said the last bigger increase was 65.1% in January 1984.

Exports to Taiwan rose 159.3%, to Malaysia 131.5% and to the Chinese mainland 68.1%, and exports for the first nine months of 2026 grew 45.2%. The spokesman said trade should keep benefiting from AI-related investment but pointed to risks including the Middle East conflict, protectionist measures by major economies and the rapid expansion of AI investment, RTHK reported.

Why it matters: The figures show how the global build-out of AI hardware is lifting Hong Kong's role as a trading hub, while officials themselves list the pace of AI investment as a risk.