The volume of total exports fell 14.1% in August, with domestic exports dropping 33.5%, compared to the same month last year.

The Census & Statistics Department said today the volume of imports dropped 7.4% and Hong Kong's re-exports fell 13.5%.

Comparing the first eight months this year with same period last year the volume of Hong Kong's re-exports fell 15.6%, while that of domestic exports dropped 39.2%. Taken together, the volume of total exports of goods decreased 16.4% and the volume of imports fell 15.5%.

Prices of re-exports of goods rose 1.3% in this year's first eight months compared with the same period last year, while those of domestic exports rose 0.2%.

Compared to the same month last year, double-digit decreases were recorded for the total export volume in August to Germany (-23.8%), the UK (-21.6%), the US (-12.8%) and the Mainland (-12.1%), but the decrease for Japan was only 4.8%.

Total export prices to Germany, Japan, the Mainland and the UK all increased, ranging from 0.2% to 2.3%, but those to the US fell 0.4%.

The import volume from all main suppliers decreased, such as the US (-17.9%), Japan (-15.1%), the Mainland (-8.9%), Taiwan (-5.2%) and Singapore (-2.2%).

The import prices from Singapore, Taiwan, the US and the Mainland all dropped, ranging from 0.6% to 5.2% while those from Japan rose 0.2%.