Largest Ports in the World
The largest ports in the world for the last five years have come from the Asian continent, with the majority of them located in China. Out of the top ten largest ports, only one is located outside Asia. SDC has analyzed data from the world shipping council and statistics based on port throughput and cargo tonnage to provide you with the top ten largest ports in the world. The top ten largest ports in the world include the following:
#1. The Port of Shanghai
The Port of Shanghai is undoubtedly the world’s biggest port. In 2010, it surpassed Singapore’s port to claim this feat. It has a cargo handling capacity of about 774 million tons, and it has handled over 40 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) consistently for the last three years. It is owned by SPIG, which is Shanghai’s international port group.
It operates at about 3,619 Km2 and converges at the Yangtze River. About one-quarter of China’s international trade takes place from the Shanghai Port. Every month, the port serves about 2,000 container ships, and in the coming years, the fleet capacity is expected to increase, thus improving its ranking as the world’s largest port.
#2. The Port of Singapore
Until 2010, The Port of Singapore ranked tops as the world’s largest port. However, it has been displaced to second place by the Port of Shanghai. The Singapore port has a connection to more than 600 ports that are spread over 100 countries. It handles about one-fifth of the world’s cargo containers. It is also used for moving about half of the crude oil supply in the world.
The Port of Singapore was the world’s maritime capital between 2015 and 2017. It has a cargo handling capacity of around 537.6 million tonnes and about 140,000 vessels berth in this port annually. Its TEUs handling figure surpassed 36 million TEUs for last year.
#3. The Port of Shenzhen
Shenzhen’s port refers to several ports located in the Guangdong Province in China. These ports are one of the fastest-growing and busiest ports in the world. It has more than 140 berths and caters to companies and industrial units located on the River Pearl. As China’s second-busiest port, its TEUs reached about 30 million in 2019.
#4. Port of Ningbo
The Port of Ningbo handled over 26 million TEUs in 2019 and has about 453 million tonnes of cargo handling capacity. It is a joint venture between the Zhoushan and the Ningbo port. The Ningbo-Zhoushan port is the world’s second-largest when the size is considered. The Ningbo Port Group operates the port, and the primary areas include Chaunshan, Zhenhai, Ningbo, Daxie, Beilun. It consists of 309 berths connected to about 600 ports spread over 100 countries.
#5. The Port of Guangzhou
The Port of Guangzhou in Southern China’s largest port, and it connects to over 300 other ports in about 100 countries. It has a cargo handling of over 460 million tonnes, making it the industrial belt mainstay in Jiangxi, Hunan, Yunnan, and Guangxi. In 2019, it recorded about 22 million TEU handling.
#6. The Port of Busan
The Port of Busan caters to Busan, a city in South Korea, and contributes to the city’s economic activities. In addition, it is a major gateway for commercial activities between Eurasia countries and the Pacific Ocean. It has about 21.6 million TEUs container handling, making it a contender as one of the largest ports in the world.
#.7. Port of Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s Port caters to the southern China Sea and is a primary contributor to Hong Kong’s Province advancement. Although smaller in size compared to other ports, it is undoubtedly one of its busiest ports. The Victora Harbor‘s deep waters and natural shelter make this port ideal for handling and berthing various vessels. It recently recorded a TEU handling of more than 20 million.
#8. Port of Qingdao
The Qingdao Port is situated by the River Yellow and is one of the world’s biggest Iron Ore ports and the largest transporting crude oil in China. Its handling figures surpassed 18 million TEUs. It also has a cargo handling capacity of around 400 million tonnes.
#9. Port of Tianjin
Tianjin’s port is the largest in China’s Northern region and has a handling capacity of about 476 million tonnes with a TEU record of 16 million.
#10. Port of Rotterdam
It was the world’s largest port between 1962 and 2004 and had about 551.5 million tonnes of cargo handling capacity. It is Europe’s largest port located in north-western Europe, in the City of Rotterdam, Netherland. It is also the world’s largest port outside of East Asia. It enables ships to deep dock and is found in a large land area of more than 100Km2.
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