This paper makes several contributions. First, it identifies the critical link between global manufacturing trends and regional port development. This topic is significant and warrants further study. Insights gained from this study can be valuable for port development planning in other regions. For example, ports in Vietnam, India and Bangladesh now have opportunities to raise their rank in global shipping networks, because there has been rapid expansion of export-oriented manufacturing activities in their hinterlands (Cho and Yang, 2011). However, their port policy makers need to act wisely and quickly enough in order to seize the opportunities.