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Should we expect Singapore-based companies to list here?

For companies keen on tapping global capital while retaining strong local roots, dual or secondary listings can provide a practical compromise

Navene Elangovan
Published Tue, Jun 17, 2025 · 05:26 PM
    • Shein is one of several Singapore-based companies that chose to list elsewhere.
    • Shein is one of several Singapore-based companies that chose to list elsewhere. PHOTO: REUTERS

    [SINGAPORE] Last month, reports emerged that fast-fashion retailer Shein intends to list in Hong Kong after its initial plan to do so in London was scuttled over concerns about its labour rights track record.

    Meanwhile, the Chinese-founded brand made Singapore its global headquarters in 2022. It was seen as a strategic move to broaden its international footprint and appeal to Western regulators and consumers amid growing scrutiny over its ties with China.

    The company’s choice to list in Hong Kong, rather than in its adopted base of Singapore, raises the question of whether companies that choose the Republic as their headquarters should also make it their listing base. In Shein’s case, media reports suggest its decision to list in Hong Kong was influenced by Chinese regulatory considerations.

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