Hong Kong Shipowners Association Supports National Initiatives
The Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA) welcomes the national plan and the central government work report delivered at the opening session of the National People’s Congress, which underlined, once again, the importance of consolidating Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre.
Hong Kong’s economic success has its origins in shipping and trade which as promoted Hong Kong’s growth as a global financial hub and a “super-connector” between the East and the West. Today, Hong Kong’s maritime cluster, which comprises ship owners, operators, managers and many related service providers, continues to play an essential role in trade activities and remains a major pillar of the Hong Kong economy, as well as contributing to its diversity and international outlook.
HKSOA Chairman Richard Hext said: “We are pleased to see national initiatives to support Hong Kong. The maritime community will strengthen cooperation with both internal and external stakeholders to leverage the many unique advantages and strengths of the city in this fast-changing world.
“In particular, we very much welcome the government plans to step up support for Hong Kong development to advance innovation and technology and to attract more talent. Industrial innovation and manpower planning have always been the concern of the maritime sector. The HKSOA continues to be in the forefront of advocating for global decarbonization and smart shipping initiatives. Also, more recently, we launched the Maritime Talent Cultivation Alliance to integrate and connect the industry, academia, research and applications to build a strong talent pool for maritime development,” added Hext.
In November 2025, the HKSOA launched the Maritime Talent Cultivation Alliance, an initiative designed to strengthen industry-education integration. It brings together many prestigious organisations and corporations for the common goal of cultivating a new generation of maritime talent, equipping them with a global perspective of the business world and practical insights into industry operations.
In February 2026, the Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government delivered the 2026-27 Budget Speech, which accepted many of the Association’s recommendations with respect to industry innovation and technology: (i) provision of tax concession for eligible commodity traders; (ii) introduction of a new incentive scheme for green fuel-powered vessels registered in Hong Kong; (iii) enhancement of the ship registration regime with a dual registration system; (iv) launch of more large-scale maritime events in Hong Kong in collaboration with global maritime organisations; and (v) the drive for green shipping investment, smart logistics and digital transformation.
