The recent bumper growth in Hong Kong exports spilled into May, expanding by 40.8 per cent year on year, as artificial intelligence-related products continued to fuel already robust demand overseas.

Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Thursday showed that the total value of exports rose to HK$611.2 billion (US$77.95 billion) last month, following a nearly 43 per cent increase in April.

The May figure marked the second month in a row that export growth exceeded 40 per cent, edging close to the best performing month in decades – the 44 per cent expansion recorded in January 2021.

Imports, meanwhile, grew by 42 per cent to HK$655.4 billion in May, resulting in a trade deficit of HK$44.2 billion for the month, equivalent to 6.7 per cent of the value of imports.

For the first five months of 2026, total exports rose by 36.2 per cent compared with the same period last year, while imports grew by 39.6 per cent.

A government spokesman said that the robust expansion in exports in May was underpinned by strong global demand for AI-related electronic products with exports to most major markets registering notable growth.