The value of Hong Kong's total exports rose 6% to $360.7 billion in December over a year earlier, after a year-on-year increase of 7.8% in November, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

Within this total, the value of re-exports rose 6% to $357.1 billion, while that of domestic exports rose 0.1% to $3.6 billion.

The value of imports increased 9% to $420.6 billion, after a year-on-year increase of 8.6% in November.

For 2017 as a whole, the value of total exports of goods rose 8% over 2016. Within this total, the value of re-exports rose 8.1%, while that of domestic exports increased 1.4% and that of imports went up 8.7%.

A visible trade deficit of $481.1 billion, or 11% of the value of imports, was recorded last year.

Comparing the fourth quarter of 2017 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of total exports increased 4.2%. Within this total, the value of re-exports increased 4.2%, while those of domestic exports and imports rose 1.3% and 4.9%.