On the 26th, the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government released statistics on foreign merchandise trade, showing that the overall export value of Hong Kong in July 2025 increased by 14.3% year-on-year, marking a 17 month consecutive increase. Statistics show that the overall import value of Hong Kong in July increased by 16.5% year-on-year. In the first seven months, the overall export value of goods increased by 12.7% year-on-year, while the import value increased by 13.2% year-on-year, resulting in a visible trade deficit of HKD 218.6 billion, equivalent to 7% of the import value of goods. A spokesperson for the SAR government stated that commodity exports remained strong in July, with a significant increase in exports to the mainland and most other Asian markets, while exports to the United States and the European Union continued to decline. The spokesperson believes that in the future, Asia, especially the mainland economy, will continue to grow steadily, and Hong Kong's increasingly close economic and trade ties with different markets will continue to provide support for Hong Kong's commodity trade performance. However, the high tariff levels and ongoing uncertainty of tariff policies in the United States may affect international trade flows in the short term. (New Society)