Global Markets
Home›Global Markets›Trade & Tariffs›Hong Kong aims to boost high-value services for Asean…
Hong Kong aims to boost high-value services for Asean trade
Hong Kong and Asean already account for HK$1.67 trillion in 2025 merchandise trade, but the article argues much of the profit can be captured only by adding services around shipments.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu highlighted the role of Asean in the city’s economic plans during a meeting with Asean Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn on August 7, according to SCMP Economy. SCMP Economy notes that Asean has been Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partner since 2010. In 2025, merchandise trade between the two reached HK$1.67 trillion, or US$212.8 billion, representing 15.3 percent of Hong Kong’s global goods trade. The piece also points to Hong Kong’s investment exposure in the region, saying the city’s direct investment stock in Asean exceeded HK$670 billion at the end of 2024. It argues the relationship is mature, but that high trade volumes do not automatically translate into large profits for Hong Kong. SCMP Economy says re-exporting goods can support businesses such as ports, freight forwarders, insurers, and banks, but Hong Kong’s share may be limited when shipments only change hands on paper or through financing before moving on. The article concludes that Hong Kong’s opportunity depends less on increasing containers and more on attaching higher-value services such as trade finance, treasury management, insurance, intellectual property, legal contracts, arbitration, supply-chain data, and regional headquarters to each transaction.