Hong Kong Rises to World’s Fifth-Largest Merchandise Trading Economy in 2025

According to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report, Hong Kong,SAR has climbed two places to become the world’s fifth–largest trading entity in merchandise trade in 2025.

Hong Kong’s total merchandise trade value surged 17.5% year-on-year to US$1,585 billion(approximately HK$12.36 trillion), accounting for 3% of global merchandise trade.

• Exports: Ranked 5th globally (up three places from 2024)

• Imports: Ranked 6th globally (up three places from 2024)

Hong Kong,SAR now follows the Chinese Mainland, the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands in the global ranking. The top 10 merchandise traders in 2025 remained largely stable, with Hong Kong moving up to fifth place, followed by the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Italy, and Mexico.

If the European Union is counted as a single trading entity, Hong Kong would rank fourthglobally.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau (丘應樺), said:

“The WTO report fully demonstrates that, despite challenges posed by geopolitics and rising trade protectionism over the past year, Hong Kong’s external trade has remained highly resilient and delivered an encouraging performance. This achievement underscores Hong Kong’s unique position as a highly open international trading hub, backed by its world-class logistics, financial infrastructure, and its role as a ‘super connector’ and ‘super value-adder’ between the Mainland and the rest of the world.”

Hong Kong’s strong showing was driven by robust growth in both exports (+16.7%) and imports (+18.1%), outperforming the global average and highlighting the city’s enduring strengths as an international trade and logistics centre.

Note: This ranking refers specifically to merchandise (goods) trade. Hong Kong’s overall economy continues to be dominated by services, which accounted for over 90% of its GDP.