The Hong Kong Shipping Register was set up in 1990 under the Hong Kong Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance, administered by the Marine Department (Hong Kong). Since the transfer of sovereignty by the United Kingdom in 1997, Hong Kong is authorised under the Basic Law by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, using the name “Hong Kong, China” to maintain a separate ship registration system.
In April 1999, the Hong Kong Government launched some new measures to improve the ship registration system in Hong Kong. By cooperation of government and shipping industry, the total tonnage of ship registry in Hong Kong has reached over 129 million gross tons with over 2,400 vessels registered in May 2020.
As of 2020 the Hong Kong Ship Register is the world’s fourth largest ship register, and the world’s largest national flag register.[1][2]
- ^ "Largest Countries of Ship Registry, 2020". transportgeography.org. 2023. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
- ^ "Home | Hong Kong Shipowners Association". www.hksoa.org. Retrieved Feb 18, 2016.