The value of total exports of goods in February rose 20.5 percent over a year earlier to 153.6 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 19.82 billion U.S. dollars), Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department said Friday.

Within this total, the value of re-exports grew 18.8 percent to 144.1 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 18.59 billion U.S. dollars), while the value of domestic exports rose 52.4 percent to 9.5 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 1.23 billion U.S. dollars).

Concurrently, the value of imports of goods rose 28.3 percent over a year earlier to 176.7 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 22.8 billion U.S. dollars) in February, after a year-on-year increase of 0.6 percent in January.

A visible trade deficit of 23 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 2.97 billion U.S. dollars), equivalent to 13 percent of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in February.

According to the department, taking January and February as a whole to neutralize the distortion caused by the difference in timing of the Lunar New Year holidays, the value of total exports of goods rose 10.8 percent over the same period last year. Within this total, the value of re-exports grew 9.1 percent, while the value of domestic exports rose 41.7 percent.

Source: Xinhua