HK among top 5 in registered ship tonnage

The total gross tonnage of Hong Kong-registered ships is approaching 40 million gross tons (GT), making the register among the top five in the world, official figures released on Saturday indicated. With the addition of a new aframax tanker Searanger with a carrying capacity of more than 109,000 tons, the Hong Kong Shipping Register will have more than 1,360 ships with a total of more than 39.86-million GT, says a press statement from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

Noting that more than 90 per cent of the world trade was carried by sea in the forecast, Roger Tupper, director of Marine of the HKSAR government, said the maritime industry of Hong Kong had always been a key factor in the economic development of Hong Kong and that the future growth of Asian economies underlined the importance of growing trading hubs like Hong Kong in the world economy. He believed that shipping would continue to play a major role in Hong Kong economies and Hong Kong would continue to serve as a vibrant international maritime hub.