The value of Hong Kong’s total exports decreased to $284.1 billion in February, down 0.8% on the same month last year, the Census & Statistics Department announced today. The value of imports of goods fell 1.8% to $325.7 billion for the same period. A trade deficit of $41.7 billion, or 12.8% of the value of imports, was recorded in February. Comparing the three-month period ending February with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of exports rose 5.5%, while that of imports also increased 3.3%. The Government noted that taking the first two months of the year together to remove the volatility caused by the difference in timing of the Lunar New Year, the value of exports posted a 16.6% growth against a very low base of comparison a year ago. Exports to the Mainland and the US rose notably, while those to the European Union fell. Those to other major Asian markets recorded a mixed performance. Looking ahead, the Gove
Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing today chaired an interdepartmental meeting to plan pre-emptive actions against parallel trading activities in black spots after Hong Kong and the Mainland fully resumed normal travel.
Since the resumption of normal travel on January 8, Police and the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) have stepped up patrols and monitored black spots of parallel trading in North District, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun and Yau Tsim Mong.
Joint operations were mounted to prevent parallel traders from causing a nuisance by gathering at public places and obstructing streets by the placing of articles.
In view of a resurgence of parallel trading activities outside Sheung Shui MTR Station, the meeting decided to enhance government actions.
Police and the FEHD will conduct more patrols in the black spots and mount joint operations when necessary in accordance with the law against street obstructions and other environmental hygiene problems caused by parallel traders and shops illegally placing articles in public places.
The FEHD will install CCTVs outside Sheung Shui Station to enhance the monitoring of environmental hygiene to facilitate the planning of law enforcement actions. This measure is applicable to other black spots of parallel trading.
The department will also step up efforts in street cleaning, targeting black spots of parallel trading to maintain the cleanliness of streets.
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