Hong Kong rises to the world's fifth-largest merchandise trading economy, with total merchandise trade increasing by 17.5% year-on-year.

Zhitong Finance APP learned that, according to the report “Global Trade Outlook and Statistics” published by the World Trade Organization (WTO), in 2025 Hong Kong will be the world’s fifth-largest merchandise trade economy, up two places from the previous year. Total merchandise trade rose 17.5% year over year to USD 1.59T, accounting for 3% of the global total.

On April 2, Qiu Yinghua, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, said that the WTO report fully shows that over the past year, even in the face of various challenges brought by geopolitical tensions and trade protectionism, Hong Kong’s external trade has demonstrated strong resilience. Following Mainland China, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands, Hong Kong ranks fifth globally in merchandise trade, and the results are encouraging.

Qiu Yinghua said that Hong Kong has long adhered to free trade, and firmly supports and safeguards a rules-based multilateral trading system, providing trade partners with a predictable and transparent market. In addition, Hong Kong has fully leveraged its institutional advantages under “one country, two systems,” as well as its highly internationalized business environment, becoming one of the most important and flexible gateways for commercial and trade exchanges.

Qiu Yinghua said that the report also confirms that a series of measures taken by the Hong Kong SAR government to promote trade have achieved certain results, including expanding the economic and trade network, strengthening efforts to attract investment and business, deepening connections with international markets, exploring emerging markets, enhancing support for small and medium-sized enterprises, and promoting Hong Kong’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative while expanding the domestic sales market, enabling Hong Kong to continue to play a key role in international trade.

(Editor: Wang Zhiqiang HF013)

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