Shanghai has reached a new milestone in its maritime development, climbing to second place in the 2026 Xinhua Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCDI) and ending London’s six-year run as the world’s second-leading shipping hub.
Singapore once again topped the rankings, keeping the number one position it has held since the index was first introduced 13 years ago. London now ranks third, followed by Hong Kong and Dubai.
Elsewhere in the top ten, Ningbo-Zhoushan moved ahead of Rotterdam to claim sixth place, while New York & New Jersey climbed two spots to eighth after overtaking Athens and Hamburg.
Shanghai’s rise has been years in the making. After placing seventh in 2014, the city has steadily strengthened its position and is now recognised as one of the world’s most important maritime and logistics centres.
This cemented it as the world’s busiest container port and saw ongoing strong growth during 2025, with rising activity at the world’s largest automated container terminal.
The report also outlines a number of major developments that helped to boost Shanghai’s position over the last year. These include the opening of Maersk’s flagship logistics centre in the Lin-gang Special Area, the launch of the North Bund International Legal Service Port, the creation of a new international ship inspection team by the China Classification Society, and the arrival of representative offices for both the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the London P&I Club.
Together, these projects have strengthened Shanghai’s maritime ecosystem well beyond its port operations.
The ISCDI measures the competitiveness of the world’s leading shipping hubs using three main criteria. Business services account for half of the overall score, while port performance contributes 20% and the wider business environment—including logistics performance, customs efficiency and government services—makes up the remaining 30%.
Although Shanghai continues to close the gap, Singapore remains the benchmark for global shipping centres.
The report said the city-state had another strong year in 2025. Its port retained its position as the world’s second-busiest container port, with cargo volumes growing even faster than those of Shanghai.
Singapore also maintained its leadership in marine fuel supply, delivering a record 56.77 million tonnes of bunker fuel during the year. Growth in LNG bunkering, new methanol bunkering licences and preparations for ammonia fuel all reinforced its reputation as a leader in the maritime energy transition.
Singapore’s shipping registry grew strongly with registered tonnage climbing 27% to 137.46 million gross tonnes. About 35 maritime companies started or increased their presence in Singapore in 2025.
The report notes that Singapore’s biggest challenge is no longer defending its leading position, but continuing to stay ahead of the rapidly growing maritime hubs emerging across Asia.
Among this year’s strongest performers was New York & New Jersey, the only shipping centre to move up two places in the rankings.
The report highlights the region’s strong financial and maritime services sector, as well as another busy year for its port. Major infrastructure projects, including harbour deepening works and long-term terminal lease agreements, are expected to support future growth.
Looking ahead, the port’s Master Plan 2050, forecasts cargo volumes could double or triple by mid-century, underscoring its ambition to become an even more important gateway for international trade.
