HK exports rise 2.2%

HONG KONG: Hong Kong's exports in March rose for the first time in 13 months, boosted mainly by improving demand in the territory's Asian trading partners.

"This improvement was underpinned in large part by the gradual revival in the global and regional economies over the past few months," the government said in a statement on Friday.

"The pick-up in exports was particularly visible for the East Asian markets, including the mainland of China, Singapore and the Republic of Korea," the government said.

The total value of Hong Kong's exports rose 2.2 percent in value in March year-on-year while the value of imports increased 0.2 percent. The March figures represented the first month of 2002 when data was not skewed by long holidays. -- Reuters