The value of Hong Kong's total exports transported by land has recorded an average annual growth rate of 11.6% in the last decade, rising from $299.4 billion in 1999 to $894.3 billion last year, the Census & Statistics Department says.

A feature article in the Monthly Digest of Statistics-May edition, published today, showed land had replaced sea as the most important mode of transport in Hong Kong's total exports since 2007.

In the past 10 years, the proportion of land mode of transport in the total exports value climbed from 22.2% to 36.2%, gradually surpassing the significance of sea transport - of which the proportion fell from 49.6% to 27.9%.

Hong Kong's imports last year, however, were mainly transported by air. The imports value grew from $366.1 billion in 1999 to $1.054 trillion last year, representing an 11.2% average annual growth rate.

During the period, the proportion of air mode of transport in the imports value rose from 26.3% to 39.1%, taking up the leading position as the most important mode of transport in local imports since 2003.

Analysed by major trading partner, the Mainland has replaced the US as the largest destination of Hong Kong's total exports by air since 2005, with the value going up from $24.7 billion to $194.9 billion over the past decade.

During the same period, the total exports value by land to the Mainland also rose, from $299.4 billion to $879.4 billion, meaning an average annual growth rate of 11.4%.

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