While the Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rate (HIBOR) may partially relieve asset quality pressure for Hong Kong banks if it stays at a low level, rating agency Fitch cautioned that the high vacancy rate in local commercial properties will remain unresolved unless there is a large-scale recovery in business activity.

In Fitch's opinion, as uncertainty surrounding US tariff policies is rippling through global trade trends and local business sentiment, the outlook for Hong Kong's banking sector is deteriorating this year. It estimated that falling interest rates would narrow net interest margins, heaping pressure on banks' profitability.

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