Posted on February 13, 2023
In this article, we will be taking a look at the 25 largest ports in the world. To skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to see the 5 largest ports in the world.
Without ports, much of the world’s economy would come to a standstill. They are an integral part of international trade, acting as a gateway between various countries while also providing both infrastructure and services required to transport goods and raw materials. Shipping has been the primary source of transportation of goods for several centuries and even though the advent of air transportation has led to a much quicker option, shipping allows for the transfer of a much higher volume of goods while being much more cost effective as well. Ports possess the facilities for ships to dock and load and unload cargo, known as cargo handling, one of the most important aspects of global trade. Today, even after airlines have been in existence for over a century and efficiency is ever-improving, 90% of all trade is still seaborne.
Nowadays, ports aren’t just about cargo handling, but logistics as well, which is incredibly important to the biggest logistics and shipping companies in the world, Currently, there are 91 countries with seaports, while the 25 biggest ports in the world are just located in 16 nations. For these countries, a significant portion of their economy, either directly or indirectly, is linked to their ports, which also create employment. Despite this, whether investments in ports and their contribution to the economy is often questioned by investors, politicians and the general public.
Some countries, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, have built their economies based on their shipping ports and are currently among the biggest logistics centers in the world, in addition to being among the biggest ports in the world. Their success has led to other countries attempting to imitate it by focusing more on ports and investing in them. While just three of the biggest ports in the world are in Europe, according to the Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime Issues, investing in ports can result in a major boost to Europe’s economy, which has suffered directly in the last year as a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is also crucial to the development of economies in Central and Eastern Europe, and reduce the risk for implementing investment projects to be used for improving seaport infrastructure. The most important aspect of this is to ensuring that investment continues consistently.
Poland in particular, among the top 10 fastest growing economies in Europe according to the World Bank, multi-billions worth of investment will be incredibly beneficial to Europe’s growth, and activities have taken place in this regard in the last couple of years. While no port in Poland is among the largest ports in the world right now, its expected supply for container shipments is 9.5 million TEU by 2050, with the country already responding to these trends.
The largest ports in the world have a combined capacity of more than 290 million TEU. Four of the top 5 ports are entirely located in China which has 8 entries in the list, while the U.S. has 3 entries and Malaysia has 2. To determine our rankings, we visited the World Shipping Organization which has data on ports by capacity, with both 2020 and 2019, assigning 79% weightage to the former and 30% to the latter, as 2020 is the most recent year, and hence more relevant. So, let’s take a look at the largest ports without which the global economy would suffer significantly, starting with:
25. Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Indonesia
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 6.2
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 7.6
Tanjung Priok is the most advanced seaport in Indonesia, and is based over 1,000 hectares. Recently, the country’s board of trade announced that Indonesia needs to upgrade thousands of old vessels and open new export routes.
24. Colombo, Sri Lanka
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 6.9
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 7.2
The Port of Colombo is the busiest and largest port in the Indian Ocean, and is part of one of the biggest artificial harbors in the world. Currently, the Port has 51 berths and 27 piers.
23. New York-New Jersey, U.S.A
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 7.6
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 7.4
The gateway to one of the most concentrated consumer market in the world, the New York-New Jersey port is the largest such port on the U.S. East Coast.
22. Dalian, China
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 6.5
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 10.2
The first Chinese port in our list of the largest ports in the world, Dalian Port has established trading and shipping links which has more than 300 ports in over 160 countries.
21. Laem Chabang, Thailand
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 7.6
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 8.1
Laem Chabang Port was incorporated in 1991 and has since been the leading maritime port in Thailand, and is located 130 kilometers south of the capital Bangkok. Since its initiation, Laem Chabang Port has undergone two phases of development and is currently undergoing a third.
20. Keihin Ports, Japan
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 8.0
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 8.0
The largest port in Japan, Keihin Ports consists of the ports of Kawasaki and Yokohama. Recently, Keihin Dock was in the news retrofitting NKY Line’s LNG tugboat to ammonia fuel.
19. Long Beach, U.S.A.
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 8.1
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 7.6
Adjoining the port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach occupies 3,200 acres of land and 25 miles of waterfront. Currently, the Port of Long Beach has 80 berths.
18. Hamburg, Germany
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 8.7
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 9.3
The largest port in Germany, Hamburg is also the largest railway port in Europe and in many areas of hinterland connections by rail, is actually a worldwide leader.
17. Los Angeles, U.S.A
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 9.2
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 9.3
You might be surprised to hear that Los Angeles has a port which is among the largest in the world, with Los Angeles being known more for its lifestyle and being home to Hollywood, but the Port of Los Angeles is the largest port in the United States and has a zero emission mission.
16. Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 9.9
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 9.1
Tanjung Pelepas is the second largest port in Malaysia and is part of APM Terminals, which in turn is owned by Maersk. It is considered to be the most advanced port in Malaysia which offers Shipping Lines deviation times of just 45 minutes while being situated in a sheltered bay.
15. Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 9.6
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 10.4
The largest harbor in Taiwan, Kaohsiung covers a land area of 1,871 hectares and boasts 137 berths.
14. Xiamen, China
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 11.4
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 11.1
Xiamen Port is located on and around Xiamen Island, and handles various types of cargo including coal, grain minerals, chemicals, containers, steel and petroleum products among others.
13. Antwerp, Belgium
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 12.0
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 11.1
Recently, Dutch tank storage company Vopak agred to acquire shares of Gunvor Petroleum Antwerp in the Antwerp Port area, the second-largest European port. The port is also seeing a rise in the quantity of cocaine being seized at the port, with Belgium become the country seizing the largest amount of cocaine in the continent.
12. Port Klang, Malaysia
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 13.2
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 13.6
Port Klang, one of the biggest ports in the world, was recently in the news after a foreign child was found in a container in the port, though it was later determined that the child was not a victim of human trafficking.
11. Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 13.5
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 14.1
The largest man-made harbour in the world, Port Jebel Ali was constructed in the 1970s to add to facilities at Port Rashid, which is now a cruise terminal, with all port operations moved to Jebel Ali. Recently, AquaChemie inaugurated a $50 million petrochemicals terminal in Jebel Ali.
10. Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 14.4
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 14.8
The Rotterdam Port is the largest port in Europe, even though its capacity decreased slightly from 2019 to 2020. It is also the largest seaport outside of East Asia, and for decades, from 1962 to 2004, was considered to be the world’s busiest port by cargo tonnage. It boasts more than 500 liner connections to over a thousand ports worldwide.
9. Hong Kong, S.A.R, China
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 18.0
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 18.3
Hong Kong is considered to be the financial center of Asia but it is also among the largest ports in the world. The port of Hong Kong has been integral in the development of Hong Kong as a global hub and is easily among the busiest ports in the world too.
8. Tianjin, China
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 18.4
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 17.3
In January 2023, Tianjun Port reported container throughput of 1.73 million TEUs, with its throughput expected to reach 21.8 million TEUs this year.
7. Busan, South Korea
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 21.6
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 22.0
One of the few ports in our list whose capacity has fallen from 2019 to 2020, Busan Port is the largest port in South Korea, accounting for nearly 75% of the total throughput share in the country in 2020.
6. Qingdao, China
Total capacity of the port in 2020 (million TEU): 22.0
Total capacity of the port in 2019 (million TEU): 21.0
Qingdao Port is one of the largest ports in the world, and begins the list of domination of China in our list.
Click to continue reading and see the 5 largest ports in the world.
