Hong Kong Maintains Top 4 Position in Global Shipping Centre Index
Hooray for Hong Kong! It’s managed to secured fourth place in the 2026 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s leading hubs for transportation and logistics.
The city scored 80.87 points, ranking behind Singapore, Shanghai, and London, while staying ahead of Dubai. Hong Kong has consistently remained in the global top five since 2020.
Singapore Holding Strong to its Top Spot
Singapore was ranked the world’s number one international shipping centre for the 13th year in a row, earning 99.32 points. Its success is driven by its strategic location, strong maritime services, and continued investment in technology and alternative fuels.
Shanghai moved into second place, overtaking London thanks to its growing role in global container shipping.
The top five international shipping hubs for 2026 are:
- Singapore
- Shanghai
- London
- Hong Kong
- Dubai
These cities have remained the world’s leading transportation and logistics centres for the past nine years, highlighting their importance to global trade. Several Chinese ports also climbed the rankings this year.
- Ningbo-Zhoushan moved up to sixth place.
- Guangzhou, Qingdao, and Tianjin all improved their positions.
China Strengthens Global Shipping and Logistics Position
The results reflect China’s continued investment in ports, shipping infrastructure, and transportation and logistics services
The Xinhua-Baltic Index evaluates 43 international shipping centres based on factors including:
- Port capacity and cargo handling.
- Maritime finance and insurance.
- Ship management and legal services.
- Customs efficiency.
- Digital government services.
- Overall transportation and logistics performance.
The latest rankings show that while the top five remain unchanged, competition among the world’s leading shipping hubs continues to grow as countries invest in stronger maritime and logistics capabilities.
