Hong Kong's exports plunged again last month, dropping 18.2 percent year-on-year for April and nearly 21 percent over the first four months compared with 2008, the government said Tuesday.
But a spokesman for the southern Chinese city pointed out that the rate of decline had slowed from March, when exports year-on-year were off 21.1 percent.
"It will take several more months of data to see if this trend of relative improvement will continue," the spokesman said. "Going forward, the external environment will remain challenging."
The latest figures from the statistics department showed imports were down 17 percent in April year-on-year and down 21.2 percent over the first four months of the year.
Export figures in Asia underlined the impact the global slowdown has had on the region.
Hong Kong exports in April were down more than 30 percent to Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, as well as 27.5 percent to South Korea, 19 percent to India and Japan, and 12.5 percent to the Chinese mainland.
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