Hong Kong strengthens maritime arbitration role amid global uncertainties
Hong Kong's Deputy Secretary for Justice highlights the city's leading position in maritime arbitration at a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau forum. The city is the second most popular arbitration venue globally and plans to amend its Arbitration Ordinance by 2027 to boost competitiveness.
The Deputy Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong delivered a video address on 23 October 2026 at the Fifth Global Forum on the Rule of Law for Maritime City Construction and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Maritime Rule of Law Forum.
Addressing the forum organised by the Shenzhen International Arbitration Institution, the official noted that rising geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty are creating challenges for maritime enterprises going global. These include shipping legal risks, compliance issues, sanctions risks and cross-border dispute resolution.
According to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's first five-year plan for economic and social development (2026–2030) and the Chief Executive's 2026 policy address, the city aims to consolidate its status as an international shipping hub and deepen its role as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services.
Hong Kong has been recognised as the top arbitration venue in the Asia-Pacific region and the second most popular globally, according to a 2025 survey by Queen Mary University of London. It is also one of four designated arbitration sites in the Baltic and International Maritime Council's standard clauses.
The Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre handled about 400 new cases last year, with maritime disputes accounting for nearly 20 per cent, the second-largest category.
The official highlighted that a 2019 mutual assistance arrangement with mainland China makes Hong Kong the only common law jurisdiction outside the mainland where parties can apply to mainland courts for preservation orders in arbitration cases. The expansion of the 'Hong Kong law and arbitration' measures has opened new opportunities for maritime enterprises in the Greater Bay Area.
To further enhance efficiency, the Department of Justice is consulting stakeholders and plans to submit a bill to amend the Arbitration Ordinance in early 2027, aiming to complete the revision within the year.