Shanghai tightened its grip on the top of the global container rankings in October, even as growth across China’s main gateways cooled to a steadier pace.
The country’s 12 leading mainland ports handled a combined 22.69 million TEUs during the month, edging up by a little over 1 per cent from September and taking year-to-date (YTD) volumes to around 222.6 million TEUs.
Shanghai alone moved about 4.54 million TEUs in October, down roughly 6.2 per cent from September’s 4.83 million TEU after an intense summer peak. Despite the month-on-month (MoM) dip, the Yangtze hub has already processed 46.07 million TEUs so far this year, an increase of 6.5 per cent year-on-year (YoY).
The wider port system showed a more mixed, but still positive, picture:
- Ningbo-Zhoushan handled 3.80 million TEUs, just shy of September levels, but remains one of the year’s strongest performers with 10.5 per cent growth so far.
- Shenzhen rebounded sharply to 3.14 million TEUs, up 19 per cent MoM, and now sits 6.1 per cent ahead of last year.
- Guangzhou also posted a firm October at 2.32 million TEUs, a 15 per cent monthly rise.
- Beibu Gulf, China’s fastest-growing regional gateway, climbed to 950,000 TEUs, up 13 per cent on the month and 10.5 per cent YoY.
Northern ports registered more modest numbers:
- Tianjin slipped to 1.92 million TEUs, though its cumulative total remains 3 per cent higher YoY.
- Qingdao eased slightly to 2.77 million TEUs, but is still up 7.2 per cent for the year.
Overall, the October figures underscore a shift in momentum towards South China, while Shanghai continues to anchor national throughput with unmatched scale.
In related news, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative launched a public comment process on its proposal to suspend, for one year, the actions taken under the Section 301 investigation into China’s maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.
