Hong Kong’s Trade Development Council (HKTDC) raises its forecast for the city’s 2026 merchandise export growth following stronger-than-expected global demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-related technologies. The updated projection ranges up to about 47%, according to reporting that cites the HKTDC’s revised outlook.
The forecast revision follows earlier estimates. In June, the HKTDC lifted its midyear export growth forecast to around 20% from an earlier estimate of about 8% to 9%. One outlet also reports that the HKTDC’s latest survey of major exporters indicates that business confidence and market expectations remain supportive, while another notes that the HKTDC Export Confidence Index for the third quarter of 2026 is released alongside the forecast update.
Across the sources, the central driver is the same: demand for AI-related products exceeds prior expectations, improving the near-term trade outlook. Coverage focuses on the magnitude of the forecast increase and the supporting signals from exporter surveys and confidence indicators, with differences mainly in how much detail is provided about those indices.
