Without international shipping, many of the goods we all need would never get delivered. International shipping is vital to keep the economy moving forward. One of the major steps of the shipping process is the loading and the unloading stage.
Today, we'll be taking a look at 15 of the busiest shipping ports in the world. Number 15. Port of Hong Kong As far as capabilities go, the Port of Hong Kong truly can do it all. Considered to be one of the world's busiest ports in terms of shipping movement, cargo handled and passengers carried, it's owned by a private sector consortium of five companies and handles roughly 23.9 million shipping containers and about 456,000 vessels per year. Now the port operates via three cross-boundary ferry terminals, nine container terminals and eight public cargo working areas. while also being home to a state-run dockyard with about 795 vessels from 14 different government departments.
The port also features dry docks, anchorages, slipways, repair and maintenance facilities for all types of vessels, with these facilities even including three floating dry docks located off the west coast of Singi Island. So, given that this port was created just 52 years ago, the fact that it's been so successful is a pretty impressive feat. Number 14. Port of Tianjin. While Tianjin is a city with a pretty brutal reputation, that hasn't stopped it from having one of China's most important ports.
First established in 1153 in order to help supply Beijing, from about 1860 on, it's been an essential trade hub, with only a temporary decline during the Japanese occupation of the World War II era, slowing its progress. At this point in time, the port handles about 18.5 million standard shipping containers per year. and is currently poised to make things a whole lot more efficient.
Perhaps the most notable development came in 2019, when the Tianjin Port became the world's first port to get approval for an autonomous driving demonstration, with 25 unmanned electric trucks. Recently, it also unveiled a zero-carbon terminal, showing the port's commitment to a green future. The port of Tianjin is easily one of the most forward-thinking shipping hubs on this list. Number 13. The Port of Shenzhen China has become a hotbed for shipping in the past few decades, and it should come as no surprise that Shenzhen is one of many Chinese ports to have experienced massive development in recent years.
More specifically, the port of Shenzhen is home to 40 shipping companies who have launched around 130 international container routes, with the port in general being connected to over 300 ports in over 100 countries. It is perhaps thanks to all of these connections that Shenzhen is a pretty happening place. and it's also considered to be the world's fourth busiest port due to the fact that over 26.5 million standard shipping containers are handled there annually. Given that the port is only 42 years old, these stats are pretty impressive, and in the future plan is for Shenzhen to be an integral part of China's Belt and Road Development Initiative. As such, the port of Shenzhen truly is an incredible center of mercantile commerce.
Number 12. Port of Ningbo, Shuzhan While the Chinese cities of Ningbo and Shuzhan aren't very well known to Westerners, they are easily some of the world's most important centers of commerce. That's because the port between these two cities is considered to be the third busiest in the world, as it handles over 30 million standard cargo containers annually. The reason for its importance is because it's located at a crossroads to canals to important waterways such as the Yangtze River.
While the port has also had a variety of different specialized cargo areas such as the Beilun Seaport, the Zhenhai Estuary Port and the Ningbo Island River Port. Due to its location, it should come as no surprise that it's been an active port ever since 1738, and recently the Chinese government raised $1.6 billion in order to increase its handling capacity. However, only time will tell whether or not this upgrade will be enough to propel this port to the number one spot.
Number 11. Port of Busan. When it comes to heavy industry, few ports hold a candle to the port of busan considered to be the world's sixth busiest port it handles about 22 million shipping containers via 10 different terminals every single year making it an important place for international trade with the korean peninsula it was first established in 1876 specifically to facilitate trade between china korea and japan and given its position at the mouth of the nokdong river and proximity to japan's tsushima island it quickly became an important port During the Korean War, Busan was one of the few ports that the communist North didn't invade, causing it to become an important hub for both war materials and humanitarian aid. Over time, it also became a major center of industry, and nowadays Busan is an important center for shipbuilding, automobiles, steel, electronic, chemicals, ceramics, and more. and the paper industry. If that wasn't enough, the South Korean government has also announced plans to pump billions of dollars into transforming Busan into a mega port.
However, only time will tell whether or not this is going to be successful. Number 10. Port of Los Angeles. While most of the world's largest ports are located in Europe or Asia, the Port of Los Angeles stands apart for being the largest on the North American continent. first opened in 1871 after the dredging of a water channel to Wilmington.
Increases in trade since then have made the Port of Los Angeles one of United States' main gateways between the mainland and the Asia-Pacific, as it is a major area of trade that handles approximately 9.2 million standard containers per year. While this makes it only the world's 17th busiest port in terms of volume, it's very expansive in terms of its scope, as it sports an automobile terminal, two brake bulk cargo terminals, nine container terminals, two dry bulk terminals, seven liquid bulk terminals, and two passenger terminals. In true U.S. fashion, it also has top-notch security, as the port has a 300-member Los Angeles Port Police Force that uses 24-7 threat detection and incident management systems to monitor both waterfront and land-based facilities. So the Port of Los Angeles is definitely a great place to conduct business. Number 9. Jebel Ali Port The United Arab Emirates has easily been one of the biggest economic success stories of the past few decades, and Dubai's Jebel Ali Port has played a large role in facilitating the UAE's economic miracle.
It was first opened back in 1979 in order to supplement the shipping work done at Port Rashid, and given that it's still the world's largest man-made harbor, this was a really big deal. Over time, it began to attract more and more companies to the area due to its large reserves of oil and low taxes. And today, Jebel Ali Port is home to over 5,000 companies from 120 countries around the world.
To date, it handles about 13.5 million standard containers per year, although in true Dubai fashion, bigger and better things are on the horizon. That's because the port is in the middle of a 15-part expansion program that will allow it to handle 55 million standard containers per year by 2030, which would in turn make it the world's largest port. However, only time will tell whether or not such a massive expansion will either be successful or necessary. Number 8. Port of Tanjung Pelapas While China's superports have largely eclipsed most of those located in Southeast Asia, the port of Tanjung Pelapas is one of only a few exceptions. Handling nearly 10 million standard containers per year, the port is best known for its crazy efficiency.
as its strategic location at the crossroads of major east and west shipping lanes means that the port offers a ship turnaround time of just 45 minutes. This is probably influenced by the fact that the port is easily one of the newest on this list. The project to create Tanjung Palapas first began in 1997 and for a period of 23 years it was continuously built, until in 2020 it was finally completed after a total of five distinct phases. The end result was a port that, while having just one container terminal, also had super high efficiency, making it the perfect place for ships who didn't want to spend a long time in port.
In order to speed things along, the port also has 44 quayside cranes, 22 of which are box outreach cranes that are considered to be at the top tier of their class. While the port of Tanjung Pelapas may be in direct competition with larger Singaporean ports, it's nonetheless doing a fantastic job. Number 7. Port of Guangzhou When it comes to technological innovations, few ports are going in quite the same direction as the Port of Guangzhou. Operated by the state-owned Guangzhou Port Group Company Limited, it handles more than 23 million standard shipping containers per year and reaches over 300 ports in more than 80 countries through its direct networks.
Now, what makes the Guangzhou Port so incredible is its location at the intersection of South China's super-important Dongjiang, Xishang, and Beixiang rivers. And because of this location, it is the primary port in the Pearl River Delta region. Due to its wide range of networks, the port is considered to be one of China's largest comprehensive ports, and at the moment, it's gearing itself up for a super high-tech future.
In 2020, the port inked a letter of intent to make itself a 5G intelligent port. with the help of Xinhua Heavy Industries, China Unicom, and Huawei. Recent reports from the South China Morning Post seem to suggest that this will make it a trial port for cross-border data travel. Also known as China's first free trade port for data, the idea is that it will allow Beijing to control data flows and data technology by way of large state investments and data infrastructure.
However, only time will tell whether or not this program will work. 6. Port of New York and New Jersey. The combined capabilities of New York and New Jersey make up an extremely productive economic zone, so it makes sense that the port that services them is extremely busy.
Considered to be the home of one of the largest natural harbors in the world, the port is the biggest on the eastern seaboard, as it handles more than seven and a half million standard shipping containers annually. Part of the reason for its success is that the port area contains not just docks, but also various canals, riverways, railways, and airports that allow cargo to move from place to place quite easily. However, the port also stands apart for being home to two foreign trade zones, or FTZs.
These are areas of the port that the United States treats as outside of its borders, and as a result, they are perfect for factories who want to manufacture goods. as they pay lower import duties and taxes because the merchandise they receive within the FTZ is considered to be international commerce. The port is also seeking to improve its overall capabilities, as it's undergoing a multi-year expansion program that includes creating new additions to its container terminal, realigning and increasing the capacity of port roadways, and completing the port's $600 million express rail network.
As such, I'm sure that the Port of New York and New Jersey will only continue to become both more efficient and busier. as time goes on. Number 5. Port of Rotterdam.
When it comes to international shipping, few European ports are quite as notable as the Port of Rotterdam. Considered to be the world's busiest port in terms of annual cargo tonnage between the years of 1962 and 2004, it has an interesting history that dates all the way back to 1283. More specifically, it was in this year that Rotterdam was established as a small fishing village. Thanks to the building of a canal, it became a main thoroughfare by 1360. While its use exploded massively during the heyday of the Dutch East India Company, it had periods of very stark decline during the Napoleonic era and World War II.
Despite this, after World War II, it was updated with modern technologies, and since, it's been a deep-water port and located in a great geopolitical location. It became poised for increased success throughout the latter half of the 20th century. Nowadays, it specializes in accommodating super large ships, and it has very impressive storage capacities for crude and mineral oils.
It also has a total of nine container terminals that handle short sea, deep sea, and inland shipping, with notable additions being seven roll-on, roll-off terminals, three juice terminals, two fruit terminals, and one terminal each for steel, paper, cars, and cruise vessels. Another unique feature is that it also has a public hospital. with special accommodation arrangements for seamen of all ranks and nationalities.
So, while the port of Rotterdam is now only considered to be the 10th busiest in the world, it truly is incredible. 4. Port of Hamburg The port of Hamburg stands apart for being both Germany and Northern Europe's largest port, as it handles about 8.7 million standard shipping containers each and every year. However, beyond its pure shipping numbers, it also has a pretty interesting piece of infrastructure.
With a universal port able to handle all types of goods and up to 320 ships at a time, it truly is a multifunctional spot, although its history is also quite cool. Founded in 1189 by Frederick I due to its strategic location near the mouth of the Elbe River, it is almost as old as the city of Hamburg itself, and for centuries the port of Hamburg was Central Europe's main gateway to the world. This dominant status continued until the World War years, when successive bombings and attack caused Hamburg to lose its shipping fleets twice. When combined with Germany's political turmoil and the rise of the Iron Curtain, the port lost many of its trade connections and soon began to fade into relative obscurity. However, an increase in investment and the opening up of the Iron Curtain allowed Hamburg to reassume a strong position, and it's now considered to be Europe's third-largest port, despite its major Cold War setbacks.
It now has a total of 42 multi-purpose terminals capable of handling all sorts of cargo, with materials such as vehicles, fruits, metals, iron, paper, and cardboard all being common trade goods. So if you live in countries such as Germany, Poland, Hungary, or Austria, there's a pretty fair chance that some of the goods in your home went through the port of Hamburg. Number 3. Port of Antwerp. While the port of Antwerp may place second fiddle to the nearby port of Rotterdam in terms of size, Its impressive features arguably put it a step ahead. While it had been a port for many years before then, the port of Antwerp first rose to prominence thanks to Napoleon Bonaparte, who installed its first lock and dock in 1811, with this being followed by a second in 1813. From then on, the port began to prosper, with the Iron Rhine Railway and the Ruhr being finished in 1879, and a total of eight docks being built by the year 1908. Against all odds, the port was relatively undamaged during World War II and to date has developed into Europe's leading break-bulk port and is a home base for about 200 different shipping companies.
It also has a few top-notch features, with these including the Berendrecht Lock, which at 500 meters in length and 68 meters in width is the largest lock in the world, a petrochemical cluster which has five refineries with an annual distillation capacity of over 40 million tons, and two large refineries which are connected with the port of Amsterdam via a pipeline and allow for cooperation between these two major transport hubs. In terms of business, it truly is elite, as it handles nearly 14.5 million standard containers of cargo per year. To top all this off, the port also has an interesting ownership structure, as while the port is owned and managed by the Antwerp Port Authority, the actual terminals are operated by private companies such as DP and PSA Antwerp. So, the Port of Antwerp is an extremely unique and diverse transport hub.
Number 2. Port of Singapore. While there are several massive ports located in China, the main port that services much of Southeast Asia is actually outside of the Middle Kingdom. That's because the Port of Singapore takes a spot for being the largest publicly owned port in the world. It offers links to more than 600 ports in 123 countries. making it by far one of the most well-connected trade hubs on the planet.
And it's because of this connectivity that it attracts more than 130,000 vessels per year, which collectively handle about 37.2 million standard cargo containers and about 622 million tons of product each year. However, the story of the Port of Singapore began back in 1819, when Sir Stamford Raffles claimed the area for Britain due to its deep and sheltered waters. This caused it to quickly be developed into an important port and coaling station. Once the country of Singapore achieved complete independence in 1965, it underwent a policy of export-oriented industrialization that caused it to be one of the richest mercantile countries in the world. This, in turn, helped the port of Singapore skyrocket in terms of importance on the global stage.
As a result of this massive inflow of funds, Singapore has begun to instate some major improvements. Chief among these is its push to create the world's largest fully automated terminal. More specifically, it wants to develop the Tuas Port, which will be able to handle 65 million standard shipping containers and will use innovative technologies such as yard automation and fully electric automated guided vehicles.
However, this project won't be finished until 2040, and so until then... Singapore will continue to operate as more of a standard port. Number 1. Port of Shanghai Of all the ports on the planet, the one that is largely considered to be the busiest of all is the Port of Shanghai.
It handles about 43.6 million standard containers and 542 million tons of cargo per year. When combined with the city's population of over 26 million people, It's not hard to see why Shanghai is considered to be just one of four large port megacities in the world. The history of the port of Shanghai began in 1684 when ocean-going vessels were allowed to use the port courtesy of the Qing Dynasty.
By 1735, it had become the most significant seaport in the Yangtze region, and by 1842, the port opened up to international trade under the Treaty of Nanjing, with it becoming a very open port due to subsequent treaties such as the 1843 Treaty of Bogue. and the 1844 Sino-American Treaty. While being controlled by the Communist Party of China in 1949 caused the port to lose a massive chunk of its foreign trade, in 1991 it was permitted to implement economic reforms by the central government, and today the port is the primary point of entry and exit for goods coming in and out of China.
Today, the port of Shanghai has two bulk cargo terminals and three break-bolt terminals, which are located in Luoxing, Wusong, and Longwu areas. While the cruise terminal is a massive 850-meter-long quay that can accommodate up to 1 million passengers per year. In order to ensure that it can be as efficient as possible, it not only has river ports that are hubs for the Huangpu River and Yangtze River, but it also sports a deep-sea port in the East China Sea that's connected to the mainland via a 32-kilometer bridge. So, when it comes to trade, no port is quite like the port of Shanghai. Watch our binge-watching playlist if you'd like to watch all of our most popular Top 15 videos.
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