China’s leading container ports continued to underpin global maritime activity in 2025, with Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan driving robust growth through the first eight months of the year.
According to the latest figures, Shanghai handled over 5 million TEU in August, representing an 11.5 per cent month-on-month increase and a cumulative year-to-date total of 36.7 million TEU, up 5.3 per cent from the same period in 2024.
Ningbo-Zhoushan recorded similar momentum, reaching 4 million TEU in August, a 11.3 per cent month-on-month rise, with cumulative throughput of 28.6 million TEU, up 9.6 per cent year-on-year.
Other major Chinese hubs, including Shenzhen, Qingdao, Tianjin, and Guangzhou, also saw steady gains, reflecting a broader trend of recovery and resilience in China’s port sector.
Notably, Beibu Gulf and Rizhao posted some of the strongest month-on-month increases, 13.2 per cent and 17.3 per cent respectively, highlighting the growing significance of smaller but fast-expanding regional ports.
These developments come against the backdrop of continued global supply chain shocks, as highlighted in our recent coverage of the Container Port Performance Index, which shows China maintaining a strong lead in global port performance despite recent disruptions.
By contrast, several neighbouring regions recorded mixed results. Hong Kong handled 1.06 million TEU in August, an 8.5 per cent month-on-month decrease, with a cumulative 8.7 million TEU, down 4.1 per cent year-on-year.
Kaohsiung (Taiwan) declined 9.5 per cent month-on-month and 2.8 per cent year-on-year.
In South Korea, Busan throughput fell 5.1 per cent month-on-month, although cumulative volumes rose 2.1 per cent year-on-year.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore recorded a 7.2 per cent month-on-month increase, while Malaysia’s Klang Port grew 3.7 per cent. Tanjung Pelepas showed a stronger performance with a 19.3 per cent month-on-month and 15.6 per cent year-on-year increase.
Turkey’s Aliaga saw the sharpest growth, with throughput up 471.1 per cent month-on-month and 51.7 per cent year-on-year.
Across all regions, China’s ports remain the strongest performers in terms of throughput and year-on-year stability, with several hubs showing double-digit monthly gains as global trade flows continue to rebalance through 2025.
