HONG KON: An export index has shown further improvement in the second quarter, heralding better prospects for the rest of the year, according to the Trade Development Council.
The council’s export index – a key barometer in gauging the city’s exports – jumped 1.9 points to 46.8 between April and June for a second quarter in a row.
Although global economic growth has been sluggish in the first half of the year, market conditions indicate that the external environment will improve in the second half of the year,” said TDC director of research Nicholas Kwan.
Kwan maintained his forecast that Hong Kong’s exports would grow 3 per cent this year.
TDC principal economist Daniel Poon said the mid-term sales outlook for various industries had become more optimistic, as global economic conditions improved.
It was expected that electronics, which comprise 60 per cent of Hong Kong’s exports and are an engine for export growth, would maintain stable momentum in the medium term, Poon said.
While urging Hong Kong companies to step up their sales