Singapore achieved excellent port and maritime growth in 2005. For the second year in a row, vessel arrivals to our port, in terms of shipping tonnage, exceeded one billion gross tons. The new record of 1.15 billion gross tons surpassed the 2004 figure by 10.5 per cent, ensuring that Singapore remains the World's Busiest Port for shipping tonnage - a laurel the Republic has carried proudly since 1986. There were 130, 318 vessel calls in 2005.

Singapore is also the World's leading Bunkering Port, providing value-for-money, reliable and efficient bunkering services since 1988. In 2005, the port supplied a record total of 25.48 million tonnes of bunkers, surpassing the 23.57 million tonnes sold in 2004 by 8.1 per cent.

The total seaborne cargo handled by the Port of Singapore (including mineral oil-in-bulk) was 423 million tonnes in 2005. The number of containers handled in the same year was a record 23.19 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) - making Singapore one of the World's busiest Container Ports.

The Republic is also the third largest Oil Refining Centre in the world, with major oil companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron Texaco operating here.

Singapore has continued to increase the tonnage of ships under its flag. While remaining the largest merchant fleet in Asia, the Singapore Registry of Ships has also grown to become the 5th largest merchant fleet in the world, also the largest in Asia. As of end 2005, there were more than 3,200 ships under the Singapore flag totalling 33 million GT.

Accolades:

"11th most important maritime nation" - UNCTAD 2005

"Best Seaport in Asia" - Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards (ASFCA) 2005

"Singapore merchant fleet, 5th largest in the world and largest in Asia" - Lloyd's Register of Shipping's World Fleet Statistics