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CEOWORLD magazine - Latest - Special Reports - Revealed: The busiest container ports in the world, 2024

Special Reports

Revealed: The busiest container ports in the world, 2024

Port of Shanghai

The port of Shanghai is the busiest container port in the world, with a capacity of over 49 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). It’s worth noting that 15 of the world’s 20 busiest container ports are located in Asia. Some of the busiest container ports in Asia are Shanghai, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In the United States, the neighboring ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach constitute the largest container hub in the country. The cities of Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Antwerp host the largest ports in Europe.

Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, global shipping has been continuously growing. Projections suggest that global port throughput may reach 988 million TEU by 2027. Consequently, the world’s busiest container ports are expanding to meet the increasing demand.

The Port of Shanghai holds the title of the busiest port in the world in terms of cargo tonnage. Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, it covers an area of 3,619km². The port has 125 berths with a total quay length of about 20km. It accommodates over 2,000 container ships monthly and contributes to a quarter of China’s total foreign trade.

The Port of Shanghai consists of three primary container port areas: Wusongkou, Waigaoqiao, and Yangshan. These areas collectively have over 13km of quay length, 43 berths, and 156 quay cranes. Additionally, the port has two bulk cargo terminals and three break-bulk terminals situated in the Luojing, Wusong, and Longwu areas. Its cruise terminal covers an extensive area of 160km², featuring an 850m quay wall and four large berths.

Busiest container ports in the world

RankContainer PortCountryThroughput (in million TEUs)
1Port of ShanghaiChina49.16
2Port of SingaporeSingapore39.01
3Port of Ningbo-ZhoushanChina35.05
4Port of ShenzhenChina29.88
5Qingdao PortChina28.75
6Port of GuangzhouChina25.41
7Port of BusanSouth Korea23.04
8Port of TianjinChina22.19
9Los Angeles/Long BeachUnited States16.65
10Port of Jebel Ali, DubaiUnited Arab Emirates14.47
11Port of Hong KongHong Kong14.35
12Port KelangMalaysia14.06
13Port of RotterdamNetherlands13.45
14Port of XiamenChina12.55
15Port of Antwerp-BrugesBelgium12.51
16Port of Tanjung PelepasMalaysia10.48
17Laem Chabang PortThailand 8.87
18Tanger MedMorocco8.61
19Port of KaohsiungTaiwan8.83
20Port of New York and New JerseyUnited States7.81

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CEOWORLD magazine - Latest - Special Reports - Revealed: The busiest container ports in the world, 2024
Katherina Davis
Deputy News Editor at CEOWORLD Magazine. Covering money, work, and lifestyle stories. Covering issues of importance to public company nominating and corporate governance committees, including new director recruitment, board evaluations, onboarding, director compensation and overall corporate governance. More recently, I have joined the newsletters team, writing and editing some of the CEOWORLD Magazine's key reader emails.