Hong Kong Traders Are Redesigning How They Source: Four Signals from the 2026 HKTDC Survey

Hong Kong’s cross-border trading community is changing not only which technologies it uses, but also how it finds suppliers, schedules purchases and combines online with physical channels. A joint report by HKTDC.com Sourcing and Airwallex, based on 462 Hong Kong-based cross-border traders and sourcing professionals, provides a snapshot of that change.

The fieldwork was conducted between March and April 2026. The results are self-reported measures of adoption, business practices, concerns and future intentions. They should be treated as directional industry signals—not proof that a particular technology or sourcing model will reduce costs or improve profit for every business.

1. AI use has moved rapidly into ordinary operations

The report says 79% of respondents were using AI in their business operations, roughly three times the level recorded 12 months earlier. AI use was concentrated in sales, marketing and customer service, but the report also recorded applications in sourcing, IT, research, expense management and accounting.

For this article, the important point is not how to deploy AI. It is that supplier discovery, price comparison, order tracking and evaluation are increasingly taking place in technology-assisted workflows. Businesses may therefore need clearer internal rules for deciding which decisions remain human-led, what data can be used, and how outputs are checked.

Adoption does not establish effectiveness. The report also found substantial barriers: 47% cited a lack of technical expertise, 39% high cost or limited budget, and 30% data quality or security concerns.

2. FinTech has become part of cross-border payment arrangements

The survey found that 60% of respondents used FinTech solutions for cross-border payments, while another 27% were considering them. This describes adoption and interest; it does not prove that every provider or account arrangement is suitable.

For management teams, the decision is broader than choosing between a bank and a FinTech platform. The report found that 48% held both traditional-bank and FinTech accounts, indicating that many businesses manage a mixed financial setup. Fees, exchange rates, settlement speed, supported markets, fraud controls, reliability and internal authorization remain relevant to that choice.

This article does not recommend a provider or explain payment-system implementation. Businesses should independently assess their transaction profile and risk requirements.

3. Purchasing schedules are becoming more demand-driven

The share of respondents that sourced only as needed increased from 15% to 29% over 12 months. Around 70% still sourced at least every six months, so the result does not mean regular purchasing cycles have disappeared.

Instead, the finding suggests that more businesses are trying to preserve flexibility when demand, costs or supply conditions change. A more responsive schedule may reduce some inventory exposure, but it may also create trade-offs in supplier capacity, minimum orders, lead times, transport costs and product availability.

The appropriate rhythm depends on the company’s own demand information, supplier relationships and tolerance for disruption—not the survey average alone.

4. Online sourcing is expanding within a hybrid model

Nearly 80% expected their use of online sourcing platforms to increase in the next 12 months. At the same time, physical interaction remained important: 52% used both physical and online sourcing channels, 27% used physical channels only, and 21% online platforms only.

The signal is therefore not a complete replacement of physical sourcing. It is a hybrid model in which online tools support discovery and comparison, while trade fairs, samples, inspections and direct supplier relationships continue to provide trust and product understanding.

Businesses may review whether each channel has a defined role: discovery, initial screening, verification, negotiation, quality assessment or relationship development. More channels are useful only when responsibilities and evaluation criteria remain clear.

Questions for management teams

• Which sourcing decisions are changing because of better evidence, rather than technology enthusiasm alone?
• Does the business have enough internal skill and data quality to review AI-assisted outputs?
• Are payment arrangements assessed by total cost, control, market coverage and risk—not headline speed alone?
• Does a more flexible purchasing schedule fit supplier lead times and inventory requirements?
• Are online and physical sourcing channels complementary, or simply duplicating work?

Scope and limitations

The report was jointly published by HKTDC and a commercial payment-services company. It reflects the answers of 462 Hong Kong-based cross-border traders and sourcing professionals and includes analysis from the publishers’ perspectives. The findings are not a census of all Hong Kong businesses, do not establish causation, and do not guarantee savings, productivity, security, resilience, revenue or profit.

Source

HKTDC.com Sourcing × Airwallex, “The Future of Hong Kong Trade: From Adopting to Advancing”, published 31 August 2026; fieldwork March–April 2026: https://sourcing.hktdc.com/newsbites/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/HKTDC_Buyer-Behaviour-Survey-Report_2026.pdf

This article is provided for general business information only. It is not legal, accounting, tax, investment, cybersecurity, payment, procurement, technology or other professional advice.

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