China gains as geopolitics redraws new global container port rankings
In H1 2026, Ningbo-Zhoushan surpassed Singapore for second place among the world’s busiest container ports, while the Iran war knocked a Persian Gulf hub from the top 10. The post China gains as geopolitics redraws new global container port rankings appeared first on FreightWaves .
In the first half of 2026, China's global influence in container port rankings expanded as Ningbo-Zhoushan replaced Singapore as the world's second busiest port. Port Klang in Malaysia also entered the top 10. The Middle East saw a significant reversal with Dubai's Jebel Ali plummeting from 10th to 32nd place due to disruptions caused by the Iran war around the Strait of Hormuz.
China's Shanghai remained the world's busiest container port, handling 28.7 million TEUs, a 6.2% increase from the same period a year earlier. Ningbo-Zhoushan processed 22.9 million TEUs, narrowly surpassing Singapore's 22.7 million TEUs. This shift marked the first time China had led the top 10 for a six-month period. China held six of the top 10 positions, including Shenzhen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Busan, Shenzhen, and Qingdao.
The Middle East disruption led to a decline in Jebel Ali's throughput by over 90% in the second quarter, dropping it to 32nd place. Other ports also experienced changes, with Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia growing the fastest and Singapore and Colombo also increasing their throughput.
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