Singapore posted record port performance in 2025, supported by resilient global trade and fuel offtake. This was announced by Senior Minister of State for Law and Transport Mr Murali Pillai, who was the Guest-of-Honour at the annual Singapore Maritime Foundation New Year Conversations event today.
2. Singapore achieved a record of 3.22 billion gross tonnage (GT) of vessel arrivals and 44.66 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of container throughput in 2025 – a 3.5% and 8.6% increase from 2024, respectively. Marine fuel sales also hit a new high at 56.77 million tonnes, a 3.4% increase from 2024, with continued growth in the use of alternative marine fuels, which increased to 1.95 million tonnes in 2025 compared to 1.35 million tonnes in 2024.
3. Singapore was named the world’s leading container port in DNV-Menon’s inaugural Leading Container Ports of the World report, and recognised as the Best Global Seaport for the fourth time and the Best Seaport in Asia for the 37th time at the Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards in 2025.
Strengthening Readiness for a Multi-Fuel Future
4. On 14 January 2026, MPA will open applications for new LNG bunker supply licences to better fulfil the growing demand on the industry. In parallel, the Standards for Port Limit LNG Bunker Vessels will be launched which will cover the equipment, operational performance, and efficiency of such vessels operating in Singapore to enhance safety.
5. MPA and Enterprise Singapore, through the Singapore Standards Council (SSC), will also be upgrading the existing Technical Reference for LNG Bunkering (TR56) to a Singapore Standard in Q2 2026, strengthening requirements for safe, transparent, and quality-assured LNG bunkering. They will also publish Singapore’s first Technical Reference for Ammonia Bunkering in Q2 2026, to guide safe and reliable operations, and support trials and early adoption.
6. In 2025, Singapore established two new Green and Digital Shipping Corridors (GDSCs) with India and the Republic of Korea respectively, and elevated the GDSC with China to the national level, bringing the total to nine. These corridors aim to pilot solutions to enhance the resilience, efficiency and sustainability of global supply chains connecting through Singapore to our partners. Projects planned for 2026 include developing common emissions-reporting protocols, enhancing digital exchanges, and conducting fuel trials along participating routes.
7. Together with the appointment of a consortium led by Keppel Ltd in October 2025 to undertake front-end engineering design (FEED) studies for ammonia power generation and bunkering, and the award of three methanol bunkering licences in November 2025, these developments represent coordinated steps in readying Singapore as a multi-fuel bunkering hub.
Digital Bunkering Achieves 100% Adoption Rate
8. All bunker suppliers in Singapore have implemented digital bunkering as at
August 2025. This initiative streamlines bunkering transactions and verifies electronic bunker deliver notes (e-BDNs) through a electronic bunker delivery notes enquiry facility. This has improved productivity and enhanced transparency in bunkering operations, saving up to 40,000 man-days annually in business process efforts.
Growth as an International Maritime Centre
9. Singapore further strengthened its position as a leading International Maritime Centre (IMC) in 2025. Over the past year, 35 maritime companies opened or expanded their operations here, bringing the total to more than 200 international shipping groups. Collectively, key maritime companies contributed an estimated annual total business spending of around
S$5 billion to our economy, reflecting the depth and diversity of Singapore’s maritime ecosystem. Singapore also retained its top ranking in the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index.
10. Industry collaboration in maritime digitalisation and R&D continued to expand in 2025. Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were signed and renewed with industry partners, underscoring a shared commitment to strengthen innovation and capability development. Several technology and innovation centres were established and operationalised in Singapore, including the ABS Singapore Maritime Safety Centre, BV-Singapore Institute of Technology Centre for Maritime Electrification, and RINA Technology Demonstration Centre.
Singapore Registry of Ships Performance
11. The Singapore Registry of Ships (SRS) closed the year with a record 137.46 million GT, an increase of about 27% from 2024, becoming the fourth largest ship registry in the world in 2025. The SRS awarded 34 Green Ship Certificates under the Green Ship Programme in 2025. It has also flagged five methanol-fuelled vessels since 2020 and is expected to flag its first ammonia dual-fuelled vessel within the next two years.
Shaping Global Maritime Standards
12. MPA continued to shape global maritime standards through active engagement with international organisations and industry partners. In 2025, Singapore was re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for the 17th time, and was elected to the Council of the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA) for the 2025-2027 term.
Building the Maritime Workforce for the Future
13. In partnership with government agencies, industry, unions and institutes of higher learning, MPA continues its efforts to make a career in maritime more attractive for students and mid-careerists, while investing in comprehensive talent development programmes. This includes internship and scholarship programmes, the enhanced Tripartite Maritime Training Award for mid-careerists, and the Maritime Leadership Programme that was expanded to adjacent sectors such as trading and logistics.
14. In collaboration with NUS, the MPA-SMF Joint Office on Talent and Skills successfully rolled out stackable micro-credentials in applied data science and analytics, enabling maritime professionals to progressively build their data capabilities while supporting the sector's digital transformation. The “Foundation Course in Data Analytics” successfully held its first public run in September 2025, attracting 58 participants from 40 companies. Building on this achievement, a second public run is scheduled for January 2026 with an expected turnout of 50 participants. The Joint Office continues to work with NUS to develop courses in AI competencies and sustainability.
Outlook for 2026
15. The global economy enters 2026 facing prospects of rising geopolitical rifts and trade tensions. Amid these global uncertainties, the maritime industry is expected to remain resilient. Global seaborne trade is projected to grow, especially for commodity trades where diversification and re-routing are driving up shipping demand. Singapore stands ready to work with the maritime industry to navigate these uncertainties and seize emerging opportunities.
