Hong Kong’s exports rose by nearly 43 per cent year on year in April, driven by strong global demand for artificial intelligence-related electronics, though the government warned that escalating Middle East tensions could cloud the near-term outlook. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Thursday showed that the total value of exports rose by 42.9 per cent in April to HK$620.9 billion (US$79.3 billion), following a 35.8 per cent increase in March. April’s surge.