The busiest container ports worldwide! Wondering if the USA or Europa made it to the list? Check it out!
The New Number One.
The new No. 1 is the Port of Shanghai. It handled 33.62 million TEUs of cargo in 2013, up from 32.53 million in 2012 and the 31.74 million TEUs reported in 2011. The biggest U.S. port is puny by comparison.
No. 2: Singapore
The Port of Singapore is no longer No. 1, but container traffic remains strong. Last year, the port recorded 32.63 million TEUs compared with the 31.65 million in 2012 and 29.94 million TEUs in 2011.
No. 3: Shenzhen
Shenzhen is now the second largest Chinese port. Last year it handled 23.28 million TEUs, up from 22.94 million in 2012 and 22.57 million TEUs in 2011, according to the World Shipping Council.
No. 4: Hong Kong
The port of Hong Kong used to be the biggest of all Chinese ports, but not anymore. Last year, Hong Kong continued to handle a dwindling number of containers as more and more ships head north to the mainland instead. The Hong Kong container port terminal handled 22.35 million TEUs in 2013, down from 23.12 million in 2012 and 24.38 million TEUs in 2011.
No. 5: Busan Port, South Korea
Continued growth in shipping at Busan. Last year saw 17.69 million TEUs go through the port, up from the 17.04 million in 2012 and 16.18 million in 2011.
No. 6: Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, China
The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port handled 17.33 million TEUs in 2013, up from the 16.83 million in 2012 and the 14.72 million TEUs in 2011.
No. 7: Qingdao, China
Qingdao handled 15.52 million TEUs last year, up again from the 14.5 million in 2012 and the 13.02 million TEUs recorded in 2011. Not bad for a country supposedly going through a hard landing.
No. 8: Guangzhou Harbor, China
Despite a slowdown in exports out of China, the Guangzhou port continues to handle more cargo. In 2013 it handled 15.31 million TEUs of cargo, up from 14.74 million in 2012 and 14.42 million in 2011.
No. 9: Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, U.A.E.
This Dubai port handled 13.64 million TEUs last year, up from 13.3 million in 2012 and 13 million TEUs in 2011, according to the World Shipping Council. The U.A.E. has successfully positioned itself as the hub between East and West shipping lanes, with more capacity currently being built out at the Khalifa Port outside of Abu Dhabi, the U.A.E. capital.
No. 10: Tianjin, China
The Tianjin port in China recorded 13.01 million TEUs in 2013, up from 12.3 million in 2012 and 11.59 million in 2011. TEU stands for “twenty-foot equivalent units”. A standard cargo carrier equals two TEUs.
No. 11: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004 it was the world’s busiest port, now overtaken first by Singapore and then Shanghai. In 2011, Rotterdam was the world’s eleventh-largest container port in terms of twenty-foot equivalent units(TEU) handled. In 2012 Rotterdam was the world’s sixth-largest port in terms of annual cargo tonnage.
No. 19: America’s Largest Container Port
Stacks of truck shipments are brought into the U.S. through the Los Angeles seaport, the biggest container port in the country. Despite the U.S. being the world’s largest importer, American ports do not rank with the world’s largest. LA saw just 7.8 million TEUs of cargo through its container terminal in 2013, down from 8 million in 2012 and 7.9 million in 2011. For the top 500 ports, see the World Shipping Council for more information.
TOP 50 WORLD CONTAINER PORTS
Rank | Port | Volume 2013 (Million TEU) | Volume 2012 (Million TEU) | Volume 2011 (Million TEU) | Website |
1 | Shanghai, China | 33.62 | 32.53 | 31.74 | www.portshanghai.com.cn |
2 | SIngapore | 32.6 | 31.65 | 29.94 | www.singaporepsa.com |
3 | Shenzhen, China | 23.28 | 22.94 | 22.57 | www.szport.net |
4 | Hong Kong, S.A.R., China | 22.35 | 23.12 | 24.38 | www.mardep.gov.hk |
5 | Busan, South Korea | 17.69 | 17.04 | 16.18 | www.busanpa.com |
6 | Ningbo-Zhoushan, China | 17.33 | 16.83 | 14.72 | www.zhoushan.cn/english |
7 | Qingdao, China | 15.52 | 14.50 | 13.02 | www.qdport.com |
8 | Guangzhou Harbor, China | 15.31 | 14.74 | 14.42 | www.gzport.com |
9 | Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 13.64 | 13.30 | 13.00 | www.dpworld.ae |
10 | Tianjin, China | 13.01 | 12.30 | 11.59 | www.ptacn.com |
11 | Rotterdam | 11.62 | 11.87 | 11.88 | www.portofrotterdam.com |
12 | Dalian, China | 10.86 | 8.92 | 6.40 | www.dlport.cn |
13 | Port Kelang, Malaysia | 10.35 | 10.00 | 9.60 | www.pka.gov.my |
14 | Kaohsiung, Taiwan | 9.94 | 9.78 | 9.64 | www.khb.gov.tw |
15 | Hamburg, Germany | 9.30 | 8.89 | 9.01 | www.hafen-hamburg.de |
16 | Antwerp, Belguim | 8.59 | 8.64 | 8.66 | www.portofantwerp.com |
17 | Keihin ports*, Japan | 8.37 | 7.85 | 7.64 | www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/en/ |
18 | Xiamen, China | 8.01 | 7.20 | 6.47 | www.portxiamen.gov.cn |
19 | Los Angeles, U.S.A. | 7.87 | 8.08 | 7.94 | www.portoflosangeles.org |
20 | Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia | 7.63 | 7.70 | 7.50 | www.ptp.com.my |
21 | Long Beach, U.S.A. | 6.73 | 6.05 | 6.06 | www.polb.com |
22 | Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Indonesia | 6.59 | 6.46 | 5.65 | www.priokport.co.id |
23 | Laem Chabang, Thailand | 6.04 | 5.93 | 5.73 | www.laemchabangport.com |
24 | Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam | 5.96 | 5.19 | 4.53 | www.vpa.org.vn |
25 | Bremen/Bremerhaven, Germany | 5.84 | 6.13 | 5.92 | www.bremen-ports.de |
26 | Lianyungung, China | 5.49 | 5.02 | 4.85 | www.lyg.gov.cn |
27 | New York-New Jersey, U.S.A. | 5.47 | 5.53 | 5.50 | www.panynj.gov |
28 | Hanshin* ports, Japan | 5.32 | 5.00 | 4.80 | www.pa.kkr.mlit.go.jp/kobeport/index.html |
29 | Yingkou, China | 5.30 | 4.85 | 4.03 | www.ykport.com.cn |
30 | Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 4.56 | 4.74 | 4.01 | www.ports.gov.sa |
31 | Algerciras Bay, Spain | 4.50 | 4.11 | 3.60 | www.apba.es |
32 | Valencia, Spain | 4.33 | 4.47 | 4.33 | www.valenciaport.com |
33 | Columbo, Sri Lanka | 4.31 | 4.26 | 4.26 | www.slpa.lk |
34 | Jawaharlal Nehru, India | 4.12 | 4.26 | 4.32 | www.jnport.com |
35 | Sharjah, United Arab Emirates | 4.12 | 4.00 | 3.23 | www.sharjahports.ae |
36 | Manila, Philippines | 3.77 | 3.71 | 3.46 | www.ppa.com.ph |
37 | Felixstowe, U.K. | 3.74 | 3.95 | 3.74 | www.portoffelixstowe.co.uk/ |
38 | Santos, Brazil | 3.45 | 3.17 | 2.99 | www.portodesantos.com |
39 | Ambarli, Turkey | 3.38 | 3.10 | 2.69 | ww.altasliman.com/en |
40 | Colon, Panama | 3.36 | 3.52 | 3.37 | www.cct-pa.com |
41 | Salalah, Oman | 3.34 | 3.63 | 3.20 | www.salalahport.com |
42 | Balboa, Panama | 3.19 | 3.30 | 3.23 | www.ppc.com.pa/balboa.php |
43 | Port Said East, Egypt | 3.12 | 2.86 | 3.2 | www.scctportsaid.com |
44 | Gioia Tauro, Italy | 3.09 | 2.72 | 2.30 | www.portodigioiatauro.it |
45 | Georgia Ports, U.S.A. | 3.03 | 2.97 | 2.94 | www.gaports.com |
46 | Tanjung Perak, Surabaya, Indonesia | 3.02 | 2.89 | 2.64 | www.perakport.co.id |
47 | Metro Vancouver, Canada | 2.83 | 2.71 | 2.51 | www.portmetrovancouver.com |
48 | Marsaxlokk, Malta | 2.75 | 2.54 | www.maltafreeport.com.mt | |
49 | Nagoya, Japan | 2.71 | 2.66 | 2.62 | www.port-of-nagoya.jp/ |
50 | Durban, South Africa | 2.63 | 2.59 | 2.71 | www.transnetnationalportsauthority.net |