Shanghai overtakes London in shipping hub rankings

According to Seatrade Maritime News Shanghai has taken second place in the 2026 Xinhua Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCDI), breaking London’s six-year streak as runner in the ranking of global shipping hubs.

Singapore earned the top spot, a position it has held for all 13 years of the report’s history. With London slipping the third place, Hong Kong and Dubai rounded out the index’s top five cities.

Ningbo-Zhoushan overtook Rotterdam to become the sixth-highest-ranked shipping centre, while New York and New Jersey jumped up two places to eighth, overtaking Athens and Hamburg. There were no new entrants to the top 20.

Analyzing Shanghai’s ascendancy in the rankings, the report noted the city stood in seventh place in 2014 and has risen steadily since. Shanghai is home to the world’s busiest container port, which recorded strong growth in 2025, including at the world’s largest automated container terminal.

The opening of Maersk’s flagship logistics centre in Shanghai’s Lin-gang Special Area further strengthened the clusters’ case, as did the launch of The North Bund International Legal Service Port, a new international ship inspection operations team from China Classification Society, and the arrival of representative offices for both the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and London P&I Club.

The Index judges shipping centres based on three main weighted criteria: port inputs account for 20% of the total, business services 50%, and general environment inputs — which covers government transparency, customs tariffs, logistics performance, and the extent of e-government and administration — making up the remaining 30% of the score.

The report said Singapore’s grip on the top spot showed no signs of loosening, as container volume growth at its port outpaced Shanghai’s to remain the world’s second-busiest container port. Singapore’s bunkering industry also broke records in 2025 to remain the world’s largest bunkering destination crown with sales of 56.77 million tons. The report noted an increase in LNG deliveries and the issuing of bunkering licenses for methanol and groundwork for future ammonia developments.

Tonnage under the Singapore Registry of Ships rose 27% on-year to 137.46m gt and some 35 companies opened or expanded operations in the city in 2025.

“Singapore’s challenge heading into the latter part of the decade is less about defending its position as a leading shipping hub but about continuing to distinguish itself from other leading maritime cities across Asia. On the evidence of 2025, it is doing exactly that,” said the report.

The only shipping centre to gain two places this year was New York & New Jersey, which the report noted as home of private equity, law firms, brokerage firms, financial institutions and the New York Stock Exchange. The port recorded its third-busiest year ever, and the Xinhua-Baltic analysis highlighted long-term plans at the port, including completion of a harbour deepening project and the signing of two lease extensions of more than 30 years each.

The port’s long-term ambition is clear, as The port’s Master Plan 2050 projects cargo volumes through the port complex could double or triple by the middle of the century.

 

Colonialism proliferating, though in a different form

It may not be wrong to say that the World War-III started no sooner did World War-II ended. Under the new arrangement countries are not conquered using military but by subjugating their sovereignty.

In the past the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund used to take control of policy making of recipient countries but now power of these countries to make decision are curtailed by establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO).

After the World War-II, super powers namely USA, USSR, and later on China have emerged. While USSR faced disintegration after its failed attempt to get access to warm waters by attacking Afghanistan, China preferred to focus on becoming an economic power. The USA got a free hand to establish its hegemony.

China is a perfect example of ‘If you can’t kill your enemy, make him friend but never forget you have to kill him one day’. USA has emerged a major investor in China and also a major buyer of made in China products. The policy is driven by the lust to control Chinese economy.

Economic sanctions are imposed on countries trying to the US policy but all the decisions are driven by protecting its own interest and/or its peripheries. This is evident from the latest US decision to exempt India, Malaysia, South Korea, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan buying oil from Iran. These countries are either the major buyers of made in USA arsenal or supplier of goods and services to the super power.

United Nations (UN) has also become subservient as most of the decisions are made by the permanent members enjoying veto powers. Any decision by the international community can be turned down by these countries.  However, if a rubber stamp is needed, UN endorses military action, the most recent examples being Libya and Syria. Iran has been facing economic sanctions for more than three decades.

Different blocs have been created for the collective exploitation and now to establish US hegemony and developing regional powers. India has been given the status of regional super power. Commonwealth keeps on reminding the sovereign countries that they were British colonies and are still under the thumb of Monarchy.

Economic assault has been initiated under the WTO that gives legal cover to the financial atrocities of the developed countries. These countries control economies of poor sates through multinational companies (MNCs). This is best understood when one looks at the balance sheets and profit and loss statements of Fortune-500, which has further reduced to Fortune-50 companies,

But armies still play key role in conquering countries, with US leading Nato member counties. Usually the campaign starts in the name of restoration of democracy. Regime Change Plans are executed by funding rebels and proving them arsenal. This is in no way any attempt to make their lives better but to keep the armament factories running at full capacities.