Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reported a 1.6% year-on-year decline in air cargo volumes for June, reflecting continued trade uncertainty tied to U.S.-China tariff negotiations and the phase-out of "de minimis" exemptions for low-value shipments to the United States.

The drop was most pronounced on North American routes, partially offset by gains in traffic to Europe and the Middle East.

HKIA, the world's busiest cargo hub for the past 13 years, released the air traffic statistics for June and the first half of 2025, showing cargo volume declining to 409,000 tonnes in June from 416,000 tonnes during the same period in 2024.

Month-on-month, June's performance is also slower than the 422,000 tonnes the airport handled in May.

 [Source: Airport Authority Hong Kong]

Despite the ongoing global trade uncertainty, HKIA said cargo traffic grew 1.9% to 2.40 million tonnes in the first half of the year.

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said in June, traffic to/from North America experienced declines, which were partially offset by growth in traffic to/from Europe and the Middle East.

Looking ahead, AAHK remains cautiously optimistic on the outlook for cargo traffic and said it will continue to closely monitor the impact of economic uncertainties on the aviation industry.

On a 12-month rolling basis, HKIA saw flight movements increased by 14.7% to 380,915. Cargo throughput, meanwhile, grew 6.3% year-on-year to 4.98 million tonnes.