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Singapore must look beyond the box to secure its logistics future

Dropping behind Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan in the global container port rankings, and seeing Malaysia's Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas nip at its heels should serve as a wake-up call for Singapore, in a changing competitive landscape for box trades For Singapore, this is about more than losing a place in a league table. It is an existential question asking whether a nation built on maritime trade can adapt to a world where supply chain control matters as much as moving containers. As Singapore spent years living off its geographical advantages, deepwater harbour and reputation for efficiency to guarantee continued dominance, its competitors have expanded their infrastructure, attracted manufacturing investment, and developed integrated logistics ecosystems. The danger now for Singapore is that it continues competing on volumes, while the market moves towards supply chain orchestration. How do the two differ? A transit port moves containers; a supply chain orchestrator helps determine where goods are sourced, stored, distributed, and financed, allowing it to capture greater economic value, even if cargo physically passes through another country. Part of the problem for Singapore with its nearest rival is that it simply cannot compete with Malaysia when it comes to land availability, meaning it should not focus on warehouses and distribution centres. Instead, it should tap into the long-held advantages it has in expertise, connectivity, technology, and managing complex regional supply chains. That means attracting multinational manufacturers, cargo owners, and third-party logistics providers, particularly those active in high-value sectors such as biopharma, semiconductors, and aerospace spares, thereby building on the island's existing strengths. And the objective should be keeping procurement, inventory management, supply chain finance, and regional logistics decisions in Singapore, even if the boxes end up elsewhere. All of this necessitates closer integration between sea, air, and land transport, back-up by digital systems giving businesses greater visibility and control. And if Singapore's transport infrastructure operates as a connected ecosystem, its compact geography could prove a further significant advantage. And the pending Tuas Port, with its planned capacity of 65m teu on full completion in the 2040s, will have a part to play, even if success cannot be judged by volume alone. With nearshoring, manufacturing diversification, and geopolitical disruption reshaping trade, uninterrupted container growth cannot be taken for granted. For this reason, Tuas should, instead, provide resilience, operational flexibility, and capacity to absorb sudden changes in trade flows. Investment in alternative marine fuels and emissions data could also attract shippers facing tougher sustainability requirements. But again, infrastructure is only half the equation. No commercially ambitious ecosystem? Then even the most automated port risks becoming little more than an efficient place to park containers. Government has a role to play in this. Yes, the Ministry of Transport's new Connectivity & Logistics division recognises the need to integrate maritime, aviation, and land transport, but creating a coordinating body will not automatically deliver the commercial agility needed to compete. Instead, the government must work to embed industry expertise in its strategy. Consultations have their place, but they cannot replace the practical intelligence of logistics providers, cargo owners, and technology companies. These businesses understand rising costs, unreliable corridors, and customers' needs. They should help develop and execute strategy, not simply comment on government proposals. Singapore's position is under pressure, but its future as a supply chain powerhouse is far from decided. In 1972, Singapore made a bold bet on containerisation by developing Tanjong Pagar. The infrastructure, expertise, and connectivity that emerged from that remain valuable assets. The challenge now is to turn them into a more ambitious commercial proposition. If '72 brought containerisation, '26 requires a similarly decisive shift: from moving boxes to orchestrating supply chains.

Hong Kong air cargo volumes bounce back in September

The world's busiest cargo airport, Hong Kong International, reported an increase in volumes in September following two months of declines. According to figures released today, the airport handled 433,000 tonnes of cargo in September, an increase of 6.3% compared with last year. This improvement follows year-on-year declines of 1.2% in August and 1.9% in July, partly as a result of the European Union's decision to add a €3 charge for packages worth less than €150 as it sought to tackle the impact of large volumes of low-value e-commerce goods entering the bloc. The Airport Authority of Hong Kong (AAHK) said that September's increase was led by transhipments and imports, which increased by 26.9% and 9.2% respectively. "Southeast Asia and the Chinese Mainland were the main growth drivers, offsetting the decline in volume in Europe following the removal of the EU's duty-free de minimis exemption in July," AAHK said. Over the first nine months of the year, cargo volumes have improved by 3.1% against 2025 levels to 3.8m tonnes. Changi on the up Hong Kong International was not the only airport in Asia to report strong cargo volumes in September as Singapore's Changi continued its good run of form. The airport saw cargo volumes increase by 9.7% year on year in September to 191,000 tonnes. Over the first three quarters of the year, cargo volumes at the airport are up 8.7% year on year to 1.7m tonnes. The growth was driven by healthy demand across export and import flows, particularly for AI-related semiconductor and electronics shipments. China, the US, Australia, Hong Kong and India were the airport's largest cargo markets during the quarter. Meanwhile, SF Airlines launched a new Shanghai-Singapore service in September, complementing its existing Shenzhen operations and strengthening connectivity for high-value technology shipments.

ECS Group names Hernandez as Americas COO

ECS Group has appointed Francisco Hernandez as its chief operating officer for the Americas. He is expected to work closely with Joao Ferreira, chief commercial officer - Americas to create what the GSSA group says will be "a more integrated Americas organisation capable of scaling while continuing to uphold close customer relationships and maintaining local market expertise". ECS Group is strengthening its regional management structure as it prepares for further expansion across the Americas. As COO, Hernandez's focus will be on "building and deepening ECS Group's airline partnerships, developing flexible, tailored solution models, and embedding digital capabilities for improved customer service". He will be responsible for regional coordination and operational execution of the Group's Americas strategy, and alongside Ferreira, work to establish a "streamlined Americas organisation that has the flexibility to grow and adapt, while maintaining the customer-centricity and market knowledge that the Group is known for". Hernandez has been with ECS Group for 16 years and has worked closely with commercial, customer service and operational teams in the US. He has built up extensive understanding of its operations, airline partners, teams, local market realities, and customer needs. Jean Ceccaldi, ECS Group's chief executive, commented: "Across the globe, our ECS Group mission is to transform the traditional GSA business model by leveraging the ideal combination of digital capabilities and human expertise to drive commercial resilience and growth. "Who better to lead operations in the Americas than someone who has been so actively involved in establishing its US airline portfolio and has in-depth comprehension of CargoTech's digital capabilities?" Hernandez remarked: "Getting the Americas to operate as one connected network will open up many opportunities and offer far greater customer value. "By sharing market intelligence, coordinating key accounts, and developing cross-border and interline flows, our local teams will be in a stronger position to serve customers and offer fast solutions across the US, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. "My first priority, therefore, is team connection and capability alignment to create a solid operating rhythm across the entire Americas. "Clear accountability, consistent performance management and faster escalation and decision-making will ensure and strengthen service quality for our airline partners." Plus, he added: "Digital transformation will also be a key enabler to consistently improving productivity, responsiveness, and decision-making across the region. "Customers should experience ECS Group as one connected Americas organisation - locally expert, operationally consistent, digitally enabled, and able to mobilise the strength of the wider Group."