Singapore’s prominence in the global shipping chain is no accident. Located at the entrance to the Strait of Malacca, the city-state’s geographical advantage allows it to be a significant trade platform along major shipping routes, handling more than 100,000 vessel calls and almost 40 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) each year.
It is the busiest container transhipment hub in the world, with over 95% of traffic involving cargo transiting through, rather than being destined for, Singapore. As the dominant transshipment hub in Southeast Asia, it has become a crucial link in cargo networks that stretch from there out to Europe, USA and Oceania.
We have weekly LCL consolidation services both to and from Singapore, which acts as a central transhipment point with worldwide connections. Our well-established relationships with the major container shipping lines give us access to competitive FCL rates, as well as space allocations when you need them – call us for up-to-date freight rates and schedules.
While the port is seen mainly as a transhipment facility, there are solid mutual trade and business ties between Australia and Singapore. The city-state is Australia’s largest two-way trading partner and investor in Southeast Asia. It is also our sixth largest trading partner ($46.7 billion in 2023) and our sixth largest source of foreign direct investment ($141 billion in 2023).
Australia and Singapore primarily trade in energy products, food, minerals, and high-tech goods. We export raw materials to them like gold, petroleum gas, and crude petroleum, while Singapore exports refined petroleum, computers, and various processed food products back to Australia.
This relationship is supported by the comprehensive Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA). Its most recent revision reflects the entry into force of the Australia Singapore Digital Economy Agreement.
In 2015, the two countries established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), which encompasses all aspects of our relationship, including trade. A refreshed Partnership which is expected to run from 2025 to 2035 is currently being discussed.
Australia and Singapore are members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and both are parties to the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), as well as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP).
Singapore is recognised as the beating heart of the global shipping system and, in this overcrowded market, Colless Young stands out among freight forwarders, looking after your interests and making sure you and your shipment are more than just another number in the system. Our mission is to provide you with personalised service from origin to destination – keeping track of your cargo, keeping it moving, and keeping it cost-effective.
If you are shipping from, to, or through Singapore, contact us here at Colless Young to find out more about schedules and rates for our LCL and FCL services. Talk to Andrew, Tel: +61 7 3890 0800 email enq@collessyoung.com.au .
