The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce on Friday said Hong Kong's businesses would not be hugely affected by the additional tariffs imposed by the United States.

The US announced an extra 10 percent duties on Chinese imports that also covers goods from the SAR.

The chamber's chairman Jonathan Choi said the issue is in the spotlight, but he is not worried about the impact on Hong Kong.

"The total percentage of trade between Hong Kong and the US is not very big. Therefore, actually it's not very much affected, but the way they do it is quite unfair to us," he spoke to reporters.

Choi said Hong Kong businesses are flexible and have started to explore new markets, such as in Asean and Middle East countries.

He added the government is facing a deficit, and he hopes the financial secretary's budget - due to be announced later this month - could introduce measures to increase revenue and minimise spending.

Choi said unprecedented global changes created more challenges to Hong Kong's economy, but support measures by the central government acted as a "guiding light" for the business community.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association said it expects growth in the SAR’s merchandise trade exports to slow down because of the additional tariffs.

Its president, Wingco Lo, urged the SAR government to file a complaint at the World Trade Organisation over the US move.

But Lo expressed confidence regarding Hong Kong’s economy this year, saying he expects GDP growth of between 2.5 and 3 percent.