Hong Kong has been ranked highly among the world’s top business-ready locations in a report by a global development and finance body, as it tops the charts in the international trade category.

A government spokesman on Friday praised the report by the World Bank Group for recognising the city as an international trading centre with clear regulations for business entry and efficient utility infrastructure.

“This recognition underscores Hong Kong’s role as a ‘superconnector’ in global trade and highlights our commitment to fostering a competitive and business-friendly environment,” he said.

“The report fully illustrates Hong Kong’s role as a ‘super value-adder’ and as a two-way door in attracting overseas enterprises and assisting mainland enterprises to ‘go global’.”

The inaugural “Business Ready” report was published on Wednesday by the World Bank Group, a global organisation composed of five institutions that provide financial and technical help to developing countries.

It gave Hong Kong a top score of 90.77 points in international trade, the best among the analysed 50 places.