Hong Kong - EU Trade Relations

Hong Kong and the EU* are Important Trading Partners

  • In 2024, bilateral merchandise trade between Hong Kong and the European Union (EU) amounted to €58.4 billion (HK$493.6 billion), dropped by 3.3% over 2023.
  • Germany, Netherlands and France were Hong Kong's top three merchandise trading partners among all the EU Member States in 2024. They represented 21%, 17% and 16% of Hong Kong's total merchandise trade with the EU respectively. Details on Hong Kong's merchandise trade with the EU are in the Table.
  • Goods imported from the EU accounted for 4.4% (€25.8 billion or HK$217.9 billion) of Hong Kong's total merchandise imports in 2024. Major goods imported from the EU to Hong Kong in 2024 were semi-conductors, electronic valves and tubes, travel goods and handbags as well as non-electric engines and motors.
  • Hong Kong-origin goods exported to the EU accounted for 2.1% (€0.14 billion or HK$1.2 billion) of Hong Kong's total domestic exports in 2024. Hong Kong's major domestic exports to the EU in 2024 included jewellery, edible products and preparations as well as pearls, precious and semi-precious stones.

Hong Kong is an Important Entrepot for Sino-EU Trade

  • Hong Kong is an important entrepot for merchandise trade between the EU and Mainland China. In 2024, around 5% (€24.1 billion or HK$204 billion) of Mainland China's exports to the EU, and around 4% (€9.6 billion or HK$81 billion) of Mainland China's imports from the EU, were routed through Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is an Important Location for EU Interests

  • Hong Kong is a separate customs territory, and participates in the World Trade Organization as a full and separate member, using the name "Hong Kong, China".
  • Hong Kong welcomes overseas investments and offers an environment in which there is free flow of capital and return on investment without exchange controls.
  • As at 3 June 2024, there were 330 regional headquarters, 470 regional offices and 840 local offices in Hong Kong with parent companies located in the EU. **
  • As at end-2023, the position of inward direct investment from the EU amounted to €33 billion (HK$285 billion) at market price. The EU was an important source of inward direct investment in both the accommodation and food services sector and the manufacturing sector.
  • Hong Kong is one of the world's major financial centres. As at end-2024, 17 out of the 150 licensed banks, one out of the 15 restricted licence banks and four out of 29 local representative offices in Hong Kong were owned by EU interests.
  • As at 30 June 2025, of the 158 insurance companies authorised in Hong Kong, 16 are EU companies. EU companies also participate actively in securities and futures trading, investment advice and fund management in Hong Kong.
  • Hong Kong has signed Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPA) with the following EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Please click here for more information.
Value in HK$ billion (€ billion)
  Summary of Hong Kong's Trade with the EU
  2023 % Change
2023/2022		 2024 % Change
2024/2023
Domestic Exports 2.0
(0.2)		 +32.0 1.2
(0.1)
 -39.1
Re-exports 271.8
(32.1)		 -12.7 274.5
(32.5)
 +1.0
Total Exports 273.7
(32.3)		 -12.4 275.7
(32.6)
 +0.7
Imports 236.7
(27.9)		 +12.0 217.9
(25.8)
 -7.9
Total Trade 510.4
(60.3)		 -2.6 493.6
(58.4)
 -3.3

Trade and Industry Department
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

July 2025

Notes:

1
Exchange rate in 2023: €1 = HK$8.47; Exchange rate in 2024: €1 = HK$8.45
2
Statistics in this fact sheet are sourced from the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Eurostat, and the WTO.
3
While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.
*
The EU comprises 27 Member States, namely, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
**
Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.

TABLE

HONG KONG'S MERCHANDISE Trade WITH THE EU AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBER STATES IN 2024
  Value of
Total Trade
(in million €)		 Value of
Imports
(in million €)		 Value of Domestic Exports
(in million €)		 Value of
Re-exports
(in million €)
World 1,120,056 582,497 6,846 530,713
The EU 58,412
(5.2%)		 25,788
(4.4%)		 142
(2.1%)		 32,482
(6.1%)
Ranking Member States  
1 Germany 12,075
(20.67%)		 6,351
(24.63%)		 19
(13.58%)		 5,705
(17.56%)
2 Netherlands 10,156
(17.39%)		 1,874
(7.27%)		 29
(20.66%)		 8,253
(25.41%)
3 France 9,368
(16.04%)		 5,736
(22.24%)		 29
(20.62%)		 3,603
(11.09%)
4 Italy 7,698
(13.18%)		 5,037
(19.53%)		 25
(17.72%)		 2,636
(8.12%)
5 Belgium 3,866
(6.62%)		 1,927
(7.47%)		 16
(11.13%)		 1,924
(5.92%)
6 Spain 2,196
(3.76%)		 801
(3.10%)		 5.8
(4.12%)		 1,390
(4.28%)
7 Poland 2,037
(3.49%)		 251
(0.97%)		 0.5
(0.37%)		 1,786
(5.50%)
8 Hungary 1,576
(2.70%)		 320
(1.24%)		 0.03
(0.02%)		 1,257
(3.87%)
9 Luxembourg 1,489
(2.55%)		 844
(3.27%)		 0.2
(0.12%)		 645
(1.99%)
10 The Czech Republic 1,456
(2.49%)		 253
(0.98%)		 0.4
(0.27%)		 1,203
(3.70%)
11 Austria 1,280
(2.19%)		 611
(2.37%)		 4.0
(2.85%)		 665
(2.05%)
12 Ireland 1,124
(1.92%)		 592
(2.29%)		 1.9
(1.35%)		 530
(1.63%)
13 Sweden 781
(1.34%)		 241
(0.94%)		 1.5
(1.06%)		 538
(1.66%)
14 Denmark 541
(0.93%)		 206
(0.80%)		 2.5
(1.76%)		 333
(1.02%)
15 Romania 475
(0.81%)		 56
(0.22%)		 1.9
(1.36%)		 416
(1.28%)
16 Portugal 365
(0.62%)		 103
(0.40%)		 2.6
(1.85%)		 259
(0.80%)
17 Bulgaria 252
(0.43%)		 87
(0.34%)		 0.2
(0.11%)		 165
(0.51%)
18 Finland 248
(0.42%)		 47
(0.18%)		 0.05
(0.04%)		 201
(0.62%)
19 Malta 237
(0.41%)		 216
(0.84%)		 0.08
(0.06%)		 21
(0.06%)
20 Greece 228
(0.39%)		 42
(0.16%)		 0.9
(0.63%)		 186
(0.57%)
21 Slovenia 224
(0.38%)		 65
(0.25%)		 0.07
(0.05%)		 158
(0.49%)
22 Lithuania 179
(0.31%)		 18
(0.07%)		 0.04
(0.03%)		 161
(0.50%)
23 Estonia 138
(0.24%)		 29
(0.11%)		 0.08
(0.06%)		 109
(0.34%)
24 Slovakia 137
(0.23%)		 30
(0.12%)		 0.008
(0.006%)		 107
(0.33%)
25 Croatia 114
(0.20%)		 18
(0.07%)		 0.01
(0.008%)		 96
(0.30%)
26 Latvia 99
(0.17%)		 20
(0.08%)		 0.0002
(0.0002%)		 79
(0.24%)
27 Cyprus 71
(0.12%)		 15
(0.06%)		 0.2
(0.17%)		 56
(0.17%)

Note:

1
Figures in brackets for the EU represent the percentage share among all trading partners of Hong Kong and that for individual Member States represent the percentage share among all EU Member States.
2
The ranking is based on total trade value.
3
Due to rounding, the figures may not add up to the total.
2025-07-18
39089
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