Global maritime hub
Building a global maritime hub for companies and industry professionals.
Last updated 20 January 2026
On this page
Policies
Together with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), we aim to develop and promote Singapore as a premier global hub port and International Maritime Centre, as well as advance and safeguard Singapore’s maritime interests. This helps to increase the sector’s potential as a growth engine for the economy, providing jobs and business opportunities.
World's Premier Global Hub Port
Singapore is a premier global hub port with more than 130,000 vessel calls annually. In 2025, Singapore’s annual vessel arrival tonnage reached a new record high of 3.22 billion Gross Tonnage, comprising various shipping segments, including bulk carriers, containers, and tankers. Singapore is also the busiest container transhipment hub in the world. Total container throughput crossed the 40 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) mark in 2025, achieving a record of 41.66 million TEUs.
Singapore is also the top bunkering port in the world. Sitting at the centre of trade routes and connected to more than 600 ports globally, it offer businesses and shipping lines seamless global trade connectivity, as well as a breadth and range of maritime services that few can match, including bunkering, pilotage, towage, fresh water supply, crew changes and ship supplies.
Leading International Maritime Centre
Given Singapore’s strategic location along shipping routes, as well as its diverse ecosystem of maritime services such as ship management, finance, insurance, broking, legal and arbitration, surveying, and marinetech, Singapore is well placed as a gateway for maritime companies to do business in the Asia-Pacific region.
More than 200 international shipping groups and a varied range of maritime service providers have their offices in Singapore. The Singapore Registry of Ships (SRS) also continues to rank amongst the largest ship registries globally.
Singapore has been ranked the leading maritime city by Menon Economics since its inaugural “Leading Maritime Cities of the World” biannual report in 2012. Likewise, the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index, an annual independent ranking of the world’s largest cities that offer port and shipping business services, has awarded Singapore the title of top International Shipping Centre since the start of the rankings in 2014.
International maritime
We contribute and work actively with international organisations to promote our maritime interests. Singapore has been a Council Member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialised United Nations agency overseeing the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of pollution by ships, since 1993.
Singapore strongly supports the IMO’s leadership in international shipping and plays an active role as a Council Member, contributing to initiatives that enhance navigational safety for the international maritime community, promote efficient and sustainable shipping practices, and protect the marine environment. Singapore currently helms various leadership positions at the IMO, such as Vice-Chair of the Marine Environment Protection Committee and Chair of four Working Groups at the IMO Council, Committees, and Sub-Committees.
As a firm advocate of human capacity development, Singapore supports the IMO and fellow Member States in maritime capacity building. In collaboration with the IMO, we provide in-kind assistance under the Singapore – IMO Third Country Training Programme (TCTP). Technical training conducted under the TCTP enables beneficiary Member States to be equipped with knowledge to fully implement the obligations and requirements of IMO instruments.
In July 2025, Singapore announced a new global initiative with the IMO and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to co-develop and deliver specialised training programmes for the international aviation and maritime communities.
Singapore is establishing a new transport training programme for Small Island Developing States. The first course will be launched in 2026, for officials from the Caribbean Islands States. Courses for the Pacific Island States and others will follow.
Singapore is also a Council Member of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), which ensures that seas are properly surveyed and charted, and the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA), which improves and harmonises aids to navigation worldwide.
Closer to home, Singapore participates in regional platforms such as the Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
Singapore is also a Contracting Party to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP). Singapore has hosted the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre since its inception in 2006, disseminating information and co-ordinating activities among the 21 Contracting Parties, which include countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and the United States.