The Trade Development Council said Hong Kong exporters are well-prepared for the new round of US tariffs set to take effect on April 2.

The council's export confidence index for the first quarter stood at 51, up 1.8 points from the fourth quarter of 2024.

The expectation index, which shows exporters’ expectations for the next quarter, also rose. It climbed one point to 51.

Speaking on RTHK’s Backchat programme on Thursday, the council’s director of research Irina Fan said the city’s export performance is driven by strong sales and procurement, as well as higher prices.

Regarding the impact of US tariffs on local exports, Fan described it as “relatively mild” compared with some of Washington's major trading partners, including China, Canada and Mexico.

“Hong Kong's exporters are quite well-prepared for higher US tariffs," she said.

“Our exporters took a very agile and flexible business strategy also actually in the past few years to mitigate the risk from higher US tariffs, which actually started in the year of 2018.

“They already adopted strategies like diversifying their sourcing, engaging with new partners and new markets, relocating some of their production lines, and also continuing to reduce their reliance, the selling to the US markets."

Despite trade tensions, Fan said 75 percent of exporters expect their profits to remain stable or grow, and that industries such as jewellery, equipment and materials, timepieces, electronics and toys remained positive in their outlook.