Chinese container ports are growing faster than the rest

Chinese container ports continue to dominate global container throughput. Despite geopolitical tensions and disruptions in logistics, throughput at the top 20 ports grew 4 per cent in the first quarter. Most of the growth came from China.

The advance of Chinese container ports thus continues unabated. Half of the global top 20 now consists of ports from China, further strengthening their position.

Chinese container ports dominate top 20

The biggest grower was the port of Ningbo, which saw throughput rise by almost 15 per cent to 11.5 million teu. This now makes Ningbo the second largest container port in the world, behind Shanghai.

Shanghai remains the absolute number one with nearly 7 per cent growth and total throughput of 14.11 million teu in the first quarter. Other Chinese ports such as Shenzhen, Qingdao and Guangzhou also showed solid growth figures.

Even in the sub-top, Chinese ports are advancing. Tianjin managed to pass Busan, cementing its Chinese dominance in the rankings.

Chinese container ports grow, West lags behind

While Chinese container ports are growing, development in the West lags behind. Rotterdam recorded only minimal growth, while Antwerp-Zeebrugge and US port Los Angeles/Long Beach even showed contraction.

Dubai was hit hardest by the geopolitical tensions and saw transshipments fall by more than 30 per cent. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had a direct impact on logistics flows there.

Meanwhile, Malaysian port Tanjung Pelepas managed to pass Rotterdam in the world rankings, underlining the shift in economic centres of gravity.

Chinese container ports determine future logistics

The growth of Chinese container ports shows where the strength of global trade currently lies. Investments in infrastructure, scale and efficiency ensure that these ports continue to build on their lead.

At the same time, other regions continue to look for ways to remain competitive. Innovation and cooperation are becoming increasingly important in this respect.

For logistics companies, this means that trade flows will continue to shift and that Asia will keep a central role in the supply chain. Read more about international transport flows on the sea freight page.

Chinese container ports are expected to continue to lead global logistics in the coming years, while other regions will have to adapt to this new reality.