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Apr exports value down 13%

The value of Hong Kong's total exports decreased to $338.3 billion in April, down 13% on the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.   The value of imports of goods decreased 11.9% to $374.9 billion for the same period.   A trade deficit of $36.6 billion, or 9.8% of the value of imports, was recorded in April.   Comparing the three-month period ending April with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of exports rose 15.4%, while that of imports increased 10.7%.   The Government noted that the value of merchandise exports declined further from a year earlier in April. Exports to the Mainland, the US and the European Union all shrank and exports to other major Asian markets recorded decreases of varying degrees.   Looking ahead, it added that the weakness in the advanced economies will continue to weigh on Hong Kong's export performance, though the expected faster recovery of the Mainland economy should

523 COVID-19 cases recorded

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 523 additional COVID-19 cases, of which 252 were detected by nucleic acid tests and 271 were identified via rapid antigen tests.   Among the new cases, 13 are imported while the rest are locally infected.   A total of 1,188,800 people have contracted the virus since the onset of the fifth wave of the epidemic, involving 9,023 deaths.   Meanwhile, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration to cover Blocks 2 and 3 of Bel Air Heights in Diamond Hill, requiring people in the restricted area to undergo compulsory testing before the specified deadline.   Given that there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several areas of Tuen Mun, the respective district offices will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to relevant residents as well as cleaning workers and property management staff working in those areas.   For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.
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