News
The top 10 container ports in 2019 were Shanghai, China; Singapore; Ningbo-Zhoushan, China; Shenzhen, China; Guangzhou, China; Busan, South Korea; Qingdao, China; Hong Kong; Tianjin, China; and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Including Hong Kong, seven were Chinese ports. In contrast, Los Angeles/Long Beach, the ninth busiest container port in 2018, went out of the chart, adversely impacted by the trade friction between the U.S. and China.
Shanghai handled 43.3 million TEUs, up 3% from the previous year, defending its title as No.1 container port in the world for the 10th consecutive year. In breakdown, Waigaoqiao Container Terminal was responsible for 23.5 million TEUs, while the remaining 19.8 million TEUs were moved to and from Yangshan Port. At Singapore, container throughput increased 1.6% to an all-time high of 37.2 million TEUs, helping the port finish in second place. Singapore was followed by Ningbo-Zhoushan. Containers to and from the port exceeded the 27-million-TEU line to reach 27.53 million TEUs, up 2%. Coming in fourth, Shenzhen processed 25.77 million TEUs, which only improved a minute 0.1%. Container lifting at Guangzhou had already reached 23 million TEUs by Dec. 26, 2019, surpassing the annual total of 21.87 million TEUs registered at the port in 2018.
Containers moved to and from Busan grew 1.3% to 21.955 million TEUs, enabling the port to hit the number six spot. Ranked seventh place were those to and from Qingdao, which exceeded 20 million TEUs in January-November. It is estimated the yearly total swelled some 9% from a year earlier to 21 million TEUs or even more. Containers to and from Hong Kong, on the other hand, fell 6.3% to 18.36 million TEUs, forcing it to slip to eighth place. Finished in ninth, Tianjin handled 17.3 million TEUs, up 8.1%. At the bottom of the top 10 list is estimated to have been Dubai, although relevant data have yet to be unveiled.
