Shanghai was rated among the top three international shipping centers, after Singapore and London, according to the 2021 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index published on Sunday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shanghai was ranked third in a global evaluation of international shipping centers, after Singapore and London, according to the 2021 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index published on Sunday.

The index evaluated the world's 43 major shipping center cities based on factors such as port conditions, shipping services and general environment.

This year's top 10 international shipping center cities are Singapore, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Dubai, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Athens-Piraeus, New York-New Jersey, and Ningbo-Zhoushan.

This is the first time Ningbo-Zhoushan, which has been the world's biggest port by cargo throughput for 12 consecutive years, entered the top 10.

The report stated that the top three cities managed to strengthen their leading positions in the past year mainly because of their shipping resources and allocation capabilities.

According to the guideline on Shanghai's development into an international shipping center, Shanghai will by 2025 handle more than 47 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers at its ports every year.

Since the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index was first launched in 2014, Shanghai's ranking has jumped from the seventh to third. The index was published in Shanghai during the 2021 China Maritime Forum (Shanghai) to celebrate the China Maritime Day that falls on July 11.