Shipbroker Affinity Shipping plans to open an energy-orientated office in Hong Kong next year to tap incoming business as oil trading activity shifts into the region.

Affinity managing partner Richard Fulford-Smith says the company expects to start up its latest Southeast Asian arm in China’s autonomous territory early in the new year.

He says the outfit anticipates traders who have been based in the Chinese capital of Beijing moving down to Hong Kong to take advantage of tax and trading platform advantages.