MARITIME Hamburg-DNV GL and Menon Economics have announced the results of a study that shows that China is the top international shipping nation. According to its new report "The Leading Maritime Nations of the World", which was presented at the recent SMM trade fair in Hamburg, the study lists 30 leading maritime nations in finance and law, maritime technology and ports and logistics. The new report follows up the 2017 report by Menon and DNV GL on the "Leading Maritime Capitals of the World", but shifts the focus to an extensive review of the maritime industry at the national level. The 30 nations were ranked by size and magnitude on all four key maritime pillars and their subgroups. As the shipping sector is the main engine of the entire maritime industry, more weight was given to the shipping sector. The 2018 report ranks China as the world's leading maritime nation, due to its top four ranking in all of the maritime pillars. China's position is particularly strong on the ports and logistics pillar, with the world's largest container and bulk ports. "The strength of China is overwhelming, particularly on the pillar of ports and logistics, but also in shipping," said co-author Menon Economics managing partner Erik Jakobsen. "The other economic superpower, the US, followed China in the ranking, with major ports and maritime cities both on the east and west coast," he said. Following the US came Japan, Germany with Norway and South Korea sharing fourth place. "Interestingly, Norway, South Korea and Greece - in the seventh place - show that smaller countries can have an outsize influence and importance to the maritime world, due to their traditions, history and innovations," said DNV GL Maritime's Shahrin Osman.