Maritime and other transport

Asia continues to dominate global liner shipping connectivity, with China remaining the top performer in maritime connectivity and its major ports anchoring global shipping networks. Together with China, eight Asian economies rank among the top 15 globally: the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Viet Nam, Japan, India, Hong Kong SAR (China) and Taiwan Province of China, underscoring Asia’s central role in liner shipping.

The United States remains the leading economy in Northern America, supported by extensive port infrastructure and service coverage.

Spain remains Europe’s most connected economy, reflecting strong intra- and extra-regional connections.

Egypt is Africa’s leading connectivity performer, with ports positioned on key Mediterranean and Red Sea routes.

Panama leads in Latin America and the Caribbean, leveraging its strategic canal location for global trade flows.

Year-on-year, China and Panama strengthened their connectivity, while the United States of America, Spain and Egypt remained regional leaders despite declines.

The five strongest bilateral liner shipping connections in the first quarter of 2026 were between neighbouring economies where maritime transport plays an important role in international trade. These included connections between China and the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. Bilateral connections in Asia, especially those involving China, have strengthened over the past twenty years and now surpass many other connections globally.

In Europe, the connections between the United Kingdom and Belgium and between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, once the world's strongest bilateral connections, remain among the top five.

Monthly liner shipping connectivity from 2023 to September 2026 show the persistent dominance of China and a broadly stable group of other top-ranked economies, with incremental movements rather than sharp shifts over time.

China’s Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) remained well ahead of other economies, reaching 1 347.6 in September 2026 and further widening the gap with other top performers.

The Republic of Korea and Singapore maintained high connectivity levels. The Republic of Korea stood at 633.0 in September 2026, while Singapore reached 626.7. Both recorded slight month-to-month declines but remained above the September 2025 levels.

The United States and Malaysia retained fourth and fifth positions among the remaining top-ranked economies. Both recorded month-to-month increases in September 2026, although their connectivity levels remained below those of September 2025, pointing to short-term improvement alongside softer year-on-year performance.