Largest maritime container ports in the world, by region - statistics & facts
Container ports are vital knots in the global supply chain, enabling the transport of shipping containers across vast distances and several means of transportation, be it ships, trucks, or trains. Each world region relies on a network of such ports to import and export commodities and goods. Being a manufacturing powerhouse and a leading exporter of machinery, electronics, and consumer goods, China has some of the largest container ports in the world in terms of total capacity and throughput. Six of the ten largest container ports in the world were located in China in 2022, with the Port of Shanghai topping the list.
The Tanger Med port complex in Morocco processed about 7.6 million TEUs of containers in 2022, making it the second-largest container port in the MENA region and the largest port in Africa.
Shanghai Port as the largest port in the world
In 2022, the Port of Shanghai processed over 47 million TEUs of shipping containers, ten million TEUs more than the Port of Singapore, which ranked second that year. Reflecting China’s growth in exports, the throughput at the Port of Shanghai increased by 40 percent between 2013 and 2022. The importance of the port lies in its location: it lies on the confluence of the Yangtze River, Huangpu River, and Qiantang River, thus connecting the port to the inland waterway infrastructure of China.Leading ports in MENA and Africa
The Ali Jebel Port of Dubai handled the most containers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 2022, at almost 14 million TEUs. In the global comparison, the port ranked 12th after the Port of Rotterdam and in front of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The Ali Jebel Port is an intermodal port connected to the UAE’s road, rail, and air infrastructure.The Tanger Med port complex in Morocco processed about 7.6 million TEUs of containers in 2022, making it the second-largest container port in the MENA region and the largest port in Africa.
