{"id":46236,"date":"2026-04-21T16:01:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T08:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=46236"},"modified":"2026-04-21T16:01:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T08:01:41","slug":"maritime-hubs-like-singapore-critical-amid-trade-disruptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=46236","title":{"rendered":"Maritime hubs like Singapore critical amid trade disruptions"},"content":{"rendered":"


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SINGAPORE \u2013 Maritime hubs like Singapore are critical in ensuring trade carries on at a time when disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz<\/span><\/a> cascade across the global economy, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on April 21. <\/p>\n

Delivering the Singapore Maritime Lecture at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, he noted that the crisis in the narrow waterway is not just regional but also a \u201csystemic shock\u201d that has had an impact on energy prices, transport costs and production chains.<\/p>\n

DPM Gan, who is also Trade and Industry Minister, told attendees at the opening of the annual Singapore Maritime Week that maritime hubs, therefore, play a stabilising role by maintaining connectivity in a volatile environment. <\/p>\n

The ongoing bottleneck in the Middle East, he added, has underscored the importance of maritime hubs that can provide flexibility, which allows trade to be redirected quickly and efficiently.<\/p>\n

Singapore\u2019s port is one such example, he said, noting that it is the world\u2019s busiest transshipment port and connected to more than 600 others across the globe.<\/p>\n

When Tuas Port is completed in the 2040s,<\/span><\/a> it will allow Singapore to handle greater volumes of containers and deepen its port connectivity, while enabling it to respond more effectively to disruptions, he added. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn a more volatile world, such connectivity is not just an economic asset. It is a crucial part of resilience, not only for ourselves, but for the rest of the world,\u201d said DPM Gan. <\/p>\n

Beyond physical connectivity, maritime hubs will also shape the standards for the future of seaborne trade, particularly in the realms of digitalisation and decarbonisation.<\/p>\n

In doing so, they will ensure that \u201cthe next generation of maritime systems remains open, interoperable and connected\u201d.<\/p>\n

This, in turn, provides \u201cclarity for investment decisions, enables coordination across borders and prevents fragmentation from leading to disconnection\u201d, he added. <\/p>\n

On top of that, maritime hubs build trust, which carries a premium, especially in an increasingly fragmented world, said DPM Gan. <\/p>\n

They are also a source of influence, which will become even more important when artificial intelligence is scaled up. <\/p>\n