Hong Kong Customs seizes live turtles of scheduled endangered species
Hong Kong Customs on June 25 seized 36 live turtles of a scheduled endangered species with an estimated market value of about $360,000 at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point.
Through risk assessment, Customs that day intercepted an incoming lorry at the control point. After inspection, Customs officers found the batch of live turtles of a scheduled endangered species wrapped in plastic and concealed in socks in a carton box declared as carrying clothing.
Customs officers subsequently conducted a controlled delivery operation and arrested a local 53-year-old woman in Tuen Mun. The arrested woman has been released on bail pending further investigation. The investigation is ongoing.
Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement actions against all kinds of smuggling activities through risk assessment and intelligence analysis.
Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586), any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of an endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction, with the specimens forfeited.
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).
Hong Kong Customs on June 25 seized 36 live turtles of a scheduled endangered species with an estimated market value of about $360,000 at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point. Photo shows one of the live turtles of the scheduled endangered species seized. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade in May 2026
Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for May 2026 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (July 16) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.
In May 2026, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 25.8% and 27.4% respectively over May 2025.
Comparing the first five months of 2026 with the same period in 2025, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 27.6% and 31.0% respectively.
Comparing the three-month period ending May 2026 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 10.8% and 11.0% respectively.
Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.
Comparing May 2026 with May 2025, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 11.8% and 11.1% respectively.
As regards price changes in the first five months of 2026 over the same period in 2025, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 6.7% and 6.5% respectively.
Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.
The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods. Compared with the same periods in 2025, the index increased by 0.6% in May 2026 and 0.2% in the first five months of 2026.
Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.
Comparing May 2026 with May 2025, increases were recorded for the total export volume to Taiwan (70.7%), Vietnam (48.9%), the USA (40.4%) and Chinese Mainland (the Mainland) (31.2%). On the other hand, the total export volume to India decreased by 24.5%.
Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to all main destinations increased: the Mainland (13.2%), Vietnam (11.9%), the USA (11.2%), Taiwan (10.0%) and India (10.0%).
Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.
Comparing May 2026 with May 2025, increases were recorded for the import volume from all main suppliers: Korea (67.2%), Vietnam (57.4%), the Mainland (35.0%), Singapore (14.8%) and Taiwan (3.1%).
Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from all main suppliers increased: Korea (24.3%), Taiwan (16.5%), the Mainland (11.7%), Singapore (9.7%) and Vietnam (8.6%).
Further information
Details of the above statistics are published in the May 2026 issue of "Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers". Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230).
Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3863 2599).
Source: AI-found images
