The Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government released foreign commodity trade statistics on the 27th. In 2021, the value of Hong Kong's overall exports of goods increased by 26.3% year-on-year, and the value of imports of goods increased by 24.3% year-on-year. Statistics show that the visible trade deficit in 2021 was HK $347.1 billion, equivalent to 6.5% of the value of imports of goods. Seasonally adjusted figures show that the value of total exports of goods increased by 5.6% month on month in the fourth quarter of 2021. Meanwhile, the value of imports of goods increased by 0.7% month on month. A spokesman for the SAR government said that in December 2021, the value of commodity exports increased by 24.8% year-on-year. Exports to the mainland, the United States and the European Union all increased significantly, and exports to other major Asian markets also increased to varying degrees. For the whole year of 2021, the total volume of commodity trade reached HK $10268.4 billion, 15.6% higher than the high level in 2018. Looking ahead, a spokesman for the SAR government believes that the global economic recovery will continue to support Hong Kong's exports, but the logistics interference caused by the epidemic may put some pressure on export performance in the short term. The expected slowdown in global economic growth and the monetary and fiscal policies of major economies also need attention. (Xinhua News Agency)