Top 50 global port rankings 2018

Shanghai handled 42 million TEUs in 2018, a 4.4% increase from 2017. Total container throughput of the 50 busiest cargo ports was up 4.6% year over year in 2018 to almost half a trillion TEUs.

Ports in Asia accounted for nearly 78% of the combined 498.76 billion TEUs handled by the top 50 container ports last year. European and North American ports represented 12.4% and 6.6% of the total respectively.

No. 2 Singapore increased throughput 8.7% to 36.6 million TEUs. Better-than-average growth of 7.1% helped Ningbo-Zhoushan port to take 3rd place, while Guangzhou’s 7.6% growth propelled to No. 5 and Busan fell to No. 6. Meanwhile, Hong Kong, which held the distinction of the world’s busiest container port until 2004, dropped 2 spots to No. 7 as its throughput dipped 5.6% to 19.6 million TEUs. Only 7 of the top 50 showed negative growth from 2017, including the top 10 Hong Kong and Jebel Ali.

			Mil TEUs
RANK	PORT		2018	2017	% Volume Change
1	Shanghai		42.01	40.23	4.40%
2	Singapore		36.6	33.67	8.70%
3	Ningbo-Zhoushan		26.35	24.61	7.10%
4	Shenzhen		25.73	25.21	2.10%
5	Guangzhou		21.92	20.37	7.60%
6	Busan South		21.66	20.47	5.80%
7	Hong Kong		19.6	20.76	-5.60%
8	Qingdao		19.31	18.3	5.50%
9	Tianjin		16	15.07	6.20%
10	Jebel Ali		14.95	15.37	-2.70%

(JOC)