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Trade

Hong Kong SAR

EU trade relations with Hong Kong. Facts, figures and latest developments.

Country or region
Hong Kong SAR
Trade topics
Negotiations and agreementsTrade policy

The EU and Hong Kong enjoy a stable trade relationship. Bilateral trade and economic relations are mature and characterised by a very limited incidence of trade irritants.

Trade picture

  • Hong Kong was the EU's 20th largest trading partner in goods in 2018 and ranked as the EU's 8th trading partner in Asia. The EU is Hong Kong's second major trade partner after China.
  • EU imports from Hong Kong are dominated by machinery and transport equipment and telecommunication equipment. EU exports to Hong Kong are dominated by machinery and transport equipment, telecommunication equipment, chemicals and other semi-finished products.
  • In commercial services, EU-Hong Kong trade has showed a stable development over the past years. The main areas of EU-Hong Kong trade in services are air transport and transportation, business and financial services.
  • Foreign direct investment data indicate that the EU has been a major source of foreign direct investment in Hong Kong. In 2017, Hong Kong was the third-most popular FDI destination for the EU.
  • According to the latest survey carried out by the Hong Kong SAR government (2018), over 2,200 EU companies have set up their businesses in Hong Kong and around half of them are using Hong Kong as their regional headquarters or regional offices. The EU’s business presence covers a large variety of sectors, mainly financial and business services, trading, logistics, construction and retailing. EU companies are key players in a range of sectors of the Hong Kong economy, including banking, insurance and securities.

The EU and Hong Kong

Bilateral trade relations between the EU and Hong Kong are regularly discussed in annual Structured Dialogue meetings that have been held every year since 2007 involving the European Commission and Hong Kong’s government authorities.

The yearly Structured Dialogue meetings between the European Commission and Hong Kong's government authorities allow the EU to exchange information with the Hong Kong authorities on a variety of key issues affecting bilateral trade.

Trading with Hong Kong