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High Value-added Logistics Services
69. Faced with competition from neighbouring regions, Hong Kong's trading and logistics industry has been developing towards the provision of high value-added services in recent years in such areas as inventory management, regional distribution and global supply chain management. Airfreight throughput kept scaling new heights. Despite its tiny one-per cent share in total trade volume, air cargo accounts for over one-third of our total trade in value terms.
70. To dovetail with the latest developments of the airfreight logistics industry, the AA is planning and developing relevant sites on the Airport Island. Hong Kong has registered the world's largest international air cargo throughput for years, and the AA keeps upgrading the airport's facilities. A new air cargo terminal was fully commissioned last October, and the midfield development project scheduled for completion in 2015 will provide a new passenger concourse with an additional 20 aircraft parking stands and other ancillary facilities.
71. Over the past three years, we have released three logistics sites with a total floor area of 280 000 square metres at Tsing Yi. We are conducting technical assessments for the ten hectares of land reserved at Tuen Mun West to ascertain its feasibility for developing into modern logistics facilities.
72. Scattered throughout the New Territories, many "brownfield sites" are being used for port backup, container vehicle parking and open storage purposes, etc. Although such services are in demand, the potential of these sites has not been maximised. I have asked relevant policy bureaux and departments to explore feasible improvement measures, including accommodating some of these operations in suitable multi-storey buildings. We are proactively studying the consolidation of the existing backup sites for the port and logistics industry around Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Container Terminals, to facilitate the development of the logistics industry and enhance the efficiency of the Hong Kong Port, and at the same time, better utilise the valuable land resources.
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