Top 20 global container port rankings

"Global Top 20 Container Port Ranking" Forecast Released: China Accounts for 9 Ports According to reports from China Trade News, the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Center for Forecasting Science has recently completed its phased "2021 Global Top 20 Container Ports Forecast Report." The current research shows that in the "Global Top 20 Container Port Ranking," China accounts for 9 ports, with 7 of them ranking among the top 10. The top 10 ports, in order, are Shanghai Port, Singapore Port, Ningbo Zhoushan Port, Shenzhen Port, Guangzhou Port, Qingdao Port, Busan Port, Tianjin Port, Hong Kong Port, and Rotterdam Port. Additionally, Xiamen Port ranks 14th and Kaohsiung Port ranks 17th. 

 Overall, the "Global Top 20 Container Port Ranking" for 2021 is expected to see little change compared to 2020. Specific changes in port rankings are as follows: The Port of Los Angeles in the US will surpass China's Kaohsiung Port to rank 16th globally, while Kaohsiung falls to 17th; the Port of Long Beach in the US will surpass Germany's Port of Hamburg to rank 18th globally, with Hamburg falling to 19th. Currently, most of the world's ports have recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Although the COVID-19 pandemic may still bring some short-term uncertainties to certain ports, the impact is limited. During the pandemic, Chinese ports took the lead in boosting morale, simultaneously fighting the epidemic and resuming production, returning to normal pre-pandemic handling levels as quickly as possible. As a result, the growth rate of container throughput at Chinese ports in the global top 20 ranking has generally been faster. The "Global Top 20 Container Port Ranking" report shows that Shanghai Port is expected to handle 45.6 to 46 million TEUs in 2021, leading the rankings by a significant margin and maintaining rapid growth, with a projected year-on-year increase of 4.8% to 5.7%. As early as the beginning of this year, Shanghai Port set a target: an annual container throughput of 44 million TEUs in 2021 and over 47 million TEUs by 2025. Considering the current global container shipping situation, Shanghai Port is well-positioned to succeed.

Singapore Port, ranked second in the global top 20, is expected to handle 38 to 38.3 million TEUs in 2021, with a year-on-year growth rate of 3.1% to 3.9%. It still maintains a significant gap with Shanghai Port. It is expected that Shanghai Port will long remain the world's largest container port in terms of throughput. In 2021, driven by robust market demand, container transportation service demand in most Chinese ports showed growth, with notable rises in Ningbo Zhoushan Port, Shenzhen Port, and Tianjin Port. Their container throughput in 2021 is expected to increase by 8.2% to 10.0%, 9.3% to 11.2%, and 9.0% to 10.6%, respectively, compared to the previous year. According to model calculations, China's container transportation development remains the focus and foundation of global stable growth. In the first half of the year, Ningbo Zhoushan Port demonstrated strong business momentum, handling 16.07 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 21.3%. According to the latest "2021 Xinhua·Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index Report," Ningbo Zhoushan has surpassed Tokyo to enter the top ten rankings for the first time, ranking first in the port category.

 Shenzhen Port, as a major foreign trade hub, continues to see growth in container throughput primarily driven by increasing overseas demand. In early June, ports in the South China region experienced sustained congestion due to the pandemic, but production was restored in less than a month, demonstrating the order and effectiveness of Chinese ports in combating the epidemic. Tianjin Port has taken frequent action since the beginning of the year, including launching the "FAST" maritime express mode to strengthen its position as the largest domestic container hub port in Northern China and pushing forward the upgrade and renovation of automated container terminals. It strives to bring container throughput to new heights. Notably, while most global ports in the global top 20 ranking are showing a trend of recovery and increase in container throughput, Kaohsiung Port continues to experience negative growth, dropping another spot after falling in the 2020 global container port throughput ranking.

Overall, the world's top 20 container ports are concentrated in East Asia, Europe, and North America. Among them, Chinese ports are performing well, with throughput growth rates maintaining a positive trend. 

 

Understanding the specific rankings and data helps shippers choose the optimal port for export. The current landscape of the world's container ports is as follows:

Global Top 20 Container Port Landscape: Shanghai Port (49 million TEUs) ranks first, Singapore (39 million) second, Ningbo Zhoushan (35 million) third, Shenzhen (30 million), Qingdao (26 million), Guangzhou (25 million), Busan (23 million), Tianjin (21 million), Jebel Ali (14 million), and Rotterdam (14 million). Chinese ports account for more than half of the top 20.

Trunk line ports have dense schedules and competitive freight rates but may have high handling fees and potential congestion. Shippers should comprehensively consider time and cost to choose the best port for shipment. Bofeng Logistics maintains cooperation with major port shipping companies, providing customers with flexible shipping solutions.

Bofeng Logistics specializes in providing one-stop logistics services including domestic container sea freight, international sea freight (FCL/LCL), Hong Kong and Macau logistics lines, as well as trucking, customs clearance, and warehousing. Contact number: 130-7567-8958 (Manager Huang). Call now for a customized quote!