List of busiest container ports

Port of Singapore
The top 10 busiest container ports by year (2004–2023)

This article lists the world's busiest container ports (ports with container terminals that specialize in handling goods transported in intermodal shipping containers), by total number of twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) transported through the port. The table lists volume in thousands of TEU per year. The vast majority of containers moved by large, ocean-faring container ships are 20-foot (1 TEU) and 40-foot (2 TEU) ISO-standard shipping containers, with 40-foot units outnumbering 20-foot units to such an extent that the actual number of containers moved is between 55%–60% of the number of TEUs counted.[1]

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs, based on World Shipping Council 2019 figures)[2]
# Port Country Region Location 2023[3] 2022[4] 2021[5] 2020[5][6] 2019[7] 2018[7][8][9] 2017[10] 2016[11] 2015[12] 2014[12] 2013[13] 2012[14] 2011[15] 2010[16] 2009[17] 2008[18] 2007[19] 2006[20] 2005[21] 2004[22]
1 Shanghai China China East Asia Yangtze Delta 49,000 47,303 47,030 43,500 43,303 42,010 40,233 37,133 36,537[23] 35,268 33,617 32,529 31,700 29,069 25,002 27,980 26,150 21,710 18,084 14,557
2 Singapore Singapore Singapore Southeast Asia Singapore Strait 39,010 37,289 37,470 36,600 37,195 36,599 33,666 30,904[24] 30,922[24] 33,869 32,240 31,649 29,937 28,431 25,866 29,918 27,932 24,792 23,192 21,329
3 Ningbo-Zhoushan China China East Asia Yangtze Delta 35,300 33,351 31,070 28,720 27,530 26,351 24,607 21,560[25] 20,620[25] 19,450 17,351 16,670 14,686 13,144 10,502 11,226 9,349 7,068 5,208 4,006
4 Shenzhen China China East Asia Pearl River Delta 26,890 30,036 28,768 26,550 25,770 25,740 25,208 23,979[26] 24,204[26] 23,798 23,280 22,940 22,570 22,510 18,250 21,414 21,099 18,469 16,197 13,615
5 Qingdao China China East Asia Yellow Sea 26,390 25,670 23,710 22,000 21,010 19,315 18,262 18,010[27] 17,510 16,624 15,520 14,503 13,020 12,012 10,260 10,320 9,462 7,702 6,307 5,140
6 Busan South Korea South Korea East Asia Korean Strait 22,750 22,078 22,706 21,590 21,992 21,662 20,493 19,850[28] 19,469[28] 18,423 17,690 17,046 16,185 14,157 11,954 13,425 13,270 12,039 11,843 11,430
7 Tianjin China China East Asia Yellow Sea 21,800 21,021 20,269 18,350 17,264 15,972 15,040 14,490[29] 14,090 14,050 13,010 12,300 11,500 10,080 8,700 8,500 7,103 5,950 4,801 3,814
8 Guangzhou China China East Asia Pearl River Delta 20,800 24,857 24,180 23,190 23,236 21,992 20,370 18,858[30] 17,625 16,160 15,309 14,744 14,400 12,550 11,190 11,001 9,200 6,600 4,685 3,308
9 Los Angeles / Long Beach United States United States North America West Coast 16,618[31][32] 19,044 20,061 17,327 16,969 17,549 17,013 15,632[33][34] 15,352 15,161 14,600 14,124 14,002 14,095 11,815 14,200 15,671 15,759 14,195 13,101
10 Jebel Ali United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates West Asia Persian Gulf 14,472 13,970 13,742 13,488 14,111 14,954 15,368 14,772[35] 15,592 14,750 13,641 13,270 13,000 11,600 11,124 11,827 10,653 8,923 7,619 6,429
11 Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong, China East Asia Pearl River Delta 14,300 16,685 17,798 20,070 18,361 19,596 20,770 19,813[36] 20,073[36] 22,374 22,352 23,117 24,384 23,532 20,983 24,248 23,881 23,539 22,427 21,984
12 Port Klang Malaysia Malaysia Southeast Asia Malacca Strait 14,061 13,220 13,724 13,240 13,580 12,316 11,978 13,170[37] 11,887 10,736 10,350 10,000 9,604 8,870 7,309 7,970 7,120 6,326 5,544 5,244
13 Rotterdam Netherlands Netherlands Europe Rhine delta 13,400 14,455 15,300 14,350 14,810 14,512 13,734 12,385[38] 12,235 12,453 11,621 11,866 11,877 11,146 9,743 10,784 10,791 9,655 9,287 8,281
14 Xiamen China China East Asia Taiwan Strait 12,550 12,434 12,045 11,410 11,122 10,702 10,380 9,614[39] 9,183 8,572 8,010 7,202 6,461 5,820 4,680 5,035 4,627 4,019 3,342 2,872
15 Antwerp Belgium Belgium Europe Scheldt delta 12,528 13,500 12,020 12,031 11,860 11,100 10,451 10,037[40] 9,654 9,136 8,578 8,635 8,664 8,468 7,309 8,663 8,176 7,019 6,482 6,064
16 Tanjung Pelepas Malaysia Malaysia Southeast Asia Malacca Strait 10,480 10,512 11,200 9,850 9,100 8,960 8,261 8,281[41] 9,120 8,500[12] 7,628 7,700 7,500 6,530 6,000 5,600 5,500 4,770 4,177 4,020
17 Kaohsiung Taiwan Taiwan East Asia Taiwan Strait 8,834 9,491 9,864 9,622 10,428 10,445 10,271 10,465[42] 10,264 10,593 9,938 9,781 9,636 8,872 8,581 9,677 10,257 9,775 9,471 9,714
18 Laem Chabang Thailand Thailand Southeast Asia Gulf of Thailand 8,680 8,741 8,335 7,547 8,106 8,070 7,670 7,227[43] 6,780 6,518 6,032 5,830 5,731 5,068 4,538 5,134 4,642 4,123 3,834 3,529
19 Tanger-Med Morocco Morocco North Africa Western Mediterranean 8,617[44] 7,596 7,173 5,771 4,801 3,472 3,312 2,960
20 New York / New Jersey United States United States North America East Coast 9,493 8,985 7,586 7,471 7,179 6,711 6,252[45] 6,372 5,772 5,467 5,530 5,503 5,292 4,561 5,265 5,299 5,093 4,785 4,478
21 Hamburg Germany Germany Europe Elbe River 7.700[46] 8,261 8,715 8,540 9,274 8,730 8,860 8,910[47] 8,821 9,729 9,302 8,864 9,022 7,900 7,007 9,737 9,890 8,862 8,088 7,003
22 Taicang / Suzhou China China East Asia Yangtze Delta 8,025 7,038 5,212 5,152 5,071 4,514 4,081 3,760
23 Saigon Vietnam Vietnam Southeast Asia East Vietnam Sea 7,905 7,956 7,854 7,220 6,586 6,156 5,987[48] 5,788[12][48] 6,334 5,542 5,060 4,674 4,100 3,563 3,100 2,532 2,532 2,122 1,868
24 Tanjung Priok Indonesia Indonesia Southeast Asia Java Sea 6,849 6,134 7,600 7,640 6,090 5,515[49] 5,201[49] 5,034 6,590 6,200 5,618 4,715 3,800 3,984 3,900 3,280 3,282 3,170
25 Colombo Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Indian Subcontinent Laccadive Sea 6,860 7,250 6,855 7,228 7,047 6,209 5,735[50] 5,185[12][50] 4,910 2,221
26 Mundra India India Indian Subcontinent Gulf of Kutch 6,503 6,660 6,503 5,657 4,732 4,449 4,240 3,320 2,895
27 Nhava Sheva / Mumbai India India Indian Subcontinent Arabian Sea 5,959 5,630 4,470 5,100 5,051 4,833 4,432 4,490 4,450
28 Savannah United States United States North America East Coast 5,892 5,613 4,682 4,599 4,350 4,046 3,645 3,737 3,346 3,034 2,966 2,945 2,825 2,356 2,616 2,604 2,160 1,902 1,662
29 Rizhao China China East Asia Yellow Sea 5,804 5,174 4,860 4,500 4,000 3,240 3,010[51] 2,810[51]
30 Hai Phong Vietnam Vietnam Southeast Asia Hong River Delta 5,629 5,696 5,142 5,133 4,954
31 Vũng Tàu Vietnam Vietnam Southeast Asia East Vietnam Sea 5,593 5,385 4,411 3,742 3,567 3,065 2,261
32 Lianyungang China China East Asia Yellow Sea 5,570 5,090 4,800 4,780 4,750 4,711 4,703 4,703
33 Manila Philippines Philippines Southeast Asia Manila Bay 5,474 4,976 4,443 5,315 5,085 4,782 4,523 3,976 3,673 3,770 3,705 3,250 3,257 2,815 2,977 2,800 2,638 2,625
34 Qinzhou China China East Asia Gulf of Tonkin 5,407 4,630 3,950 2,580 2,400 2,303 2,091
35 Colón Panama Panama Central America Caribbean coast 5,102 4,916 4,454 4,379 3,890 3,891 3,258 3,577 3,356 2,060 1,900 1,600 2,802 1,856[52] 2,262 N/A 1,947 2,150
36 Valencia Spain Spain Europe Western Mediterranean 5,052 5,604 5,428 5,439 5,128 4,832 4,722 4,616 4,442 4,328 4,470 4,327 4,207 3,653 3,593 3,043 2,612 2,410 2,145
37 Piraeus Greece Greece Europe Eastern Mediterranean 5,000 5,311 5,437 5,648 4,907 4,145 3,737 3,330 3,164 2,745 1,680 1,198 665 434 1,373 N/A N/A N/A
38 Yingkou China China East Asia Liaodong Bay 4,995 5,207 5,650 5,480 6,487 6,278 6,086[53] 5,922 5,770
39 Santos  Brazil South America South Atlantic Ocean 4,986 4,831 4,232 4,165 4,120 3,854 3,394 3,645 3,685 3,446 3,172 2,985 2,716 2,252 2,675 2,533 2,208 2,240 1,883
40 Jeddah Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia West Asia Red Sea 4,960 4,882 4,737 4,433 4,120 4,150 3,957 4,188[54] 4,200 4,561 4,738 4,010 3,830 3,091 3,326 3,068 2,964 2,836 2,426
41 Algeciras Spain Spain Europe Western Mediterranean 4,767 4,799 5,108 5,125 4,773 4,340 4,761[55] 4,516[55] 4,457 4,501 4,114 3,603 2,810 3,042 3,324 3,152 3,257 3,180 2,937
42 Bremerhaven Germany Germany Europe North Sea 4,572 5,018 4,767 4,856 5,450 5,510 5,535 [56] 5,479[56] 5,796 5,831 6,115 5,915 4,871 4,578 5,529 4,912 4,450 3,736 3,469
43 Salalah Oman Oman West Asia Arabian Sea 4,504 4,510 4,340 4,109 3,390 3,946 3,325 2,569 2,229
44 Dalian China China East Asia Yellow Sea 4,459 3,672 5,110 10,210 9,770 9,707 9,614[57] 9,450 10,128 10,860 8,060 6,400 5,242 4,552 4,503 4,574 3,212 2,665 2,211
45 Tokyo Japan Japan East Asia Tokyo Bay 4,430 4,326 4,260 4,510 4,570 4,500 4,700 4,629 4,917 4,861 4,752 4,640 4,286 3,810 4,271 3,818 3,969 3,593 3,358
46 Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates West Asia Persian Gulf 4,330 3,440 3,220 2,780 1,740 1,400
47 Port Said Egypt Egypt North Africa North of Suez Canal 4,252 4,765 4,010 3,816 3,105 2,968 3,036 3,462 3,036 4,100 3,631 4,272 3,646 3,300 3,202 2,127 2,127 1,522 869
48 Yantai China China East Asia Yellow Sea 4,117 3,651 3,300 3,102 3,001
49 Houston United States United States North America Gulf of Mexico 3,974 3,453 3,001 2,987 2,701
50 Tanjung Perak Indonesia Indonesia Southeast Asia Madura Strait 3,972 3,901 3,602
  1. ^ Assuming that all boxes are either counted as 1 or 2 TEUs (which is pretty much the case), and that for every 20-foot / single TEU box, there are at least two 40-foot (or other 2 TEU) units (meaning 2 × 2 = 4 TEUs) in circulation, the 40-footers represent at least 80% of the TEU volume; and for every 10 TEUs, on average, at least 80% of them must be divided by two, to compute the actual number of boxes, meaning the total number of boxes drops below 60% of the number of TEUs moved.
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