BEIJING - The Chinese mainland's trade with Hong Kong totaled $206.65 billion in the first half of the year, surging 40.2 percent year on year, the Ministry of Commerce revealed on Tuesday.

The figure accounted for 10.3 percent of the mainland's total foreign trade in the first half, according to statistics from the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs under the ministry.

The mainland's exports to Hong Kong hit $198.75 billion, a sharp year-on-year increase of 42.7 percent, while the mainland's imports from Hong Kong dropped by 2.3 percent to $7.9 billion, the statistics showed.

In June, trade between the mainland and Hong Kong stood at $26.74 billion, declining by 8.8 percent from May.

Hong Kong is the mainland's third-largest trade partner and one of its major export markets.

According to statistics, the mainland approved 5,497 HK-invested projects from January to June in 2013, with the actual use of HK capital reaching $36.79 billion, growing 8.4 percent from the same period of last year.

As of the end of June, the mainland had approved 354,381 HK-funded projects, with actual use of $629.06 billion of capital from Hong Kong, or 46.9 percent of gross overseas investment in the mainland.