HONG KONG, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong saw the value of total exports of goods in January up 18.1 percent over the same period last year and the value of imports of goods up 23.8 percent, statistics showed on Tuesday.

In January, the value of total exports of goods stood at 350 billion HK dollars and the value of imports of goods stood at 382 billion HK dollars, according to the Census and Statistics Departments of the government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

A visible trade deficit of 31.9 billion HK dollars, equivalent to 8.4 percent of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in January.

A government spokesman said merchandise exports surged in January over a year earlier amid strengthening global demand.

However, trade figures for January were distorted by the difference in timing of the Lunar New Year, which fell in mid-February this year but in late January last year, he noted.

It would thus be more meaningful to analyse the trade figures for January and February combined, when available, for a clearer picture of the underlying growth momentum, the spokesman said.