The 20 Busiest Ports in the World: Asia Has No Rivals, Is Indonesia There?

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Global trade still heavily depends on sea routes. Around 90% of international trade goods are shipped using vessels, making ports the primary artery of the global economy.

According to Visual Capitalist, the majority of the world’s busiest ports are located in Asia, particularly China. In 2024, Shanghai maintains its status as the world’s busiest container port with a volume of more than 50 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per year.

China Dominates Global Ports

Asia remains the centre of world trade and logistics. Of the 20 busiest global ports in 2024, 15 are in Asia, with China dominating the top list.

This dominance reinforces China’s position as the global manufacturing and supply chain hub. In fact, more than 40% of the world’s container traffic originates from Chinese ports.

Besides Shanghai, several other Chinese ports also rank among the world’s top, such as Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, and Tianjin.

Southeast Asia Becomes a Strategic Route

The Southeast Asian region plays an important role in global trade. Singapore, Port Klang, and Tanjung Pelepas serve as major nodes for international goods distribution due to their proximity to the Malacca Strait.

The Malacca Strait itself is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, traversed by around a quarter to a third of global trade.

Not only East and Southeast Asia, but the Middle East also has strategic ports through Jebel Ali in Dubai, which is the largest port outside East Asia.

America and Europe Start to Lag Behind

Amid Asia’s dominance, ports in the United States and Europe are starting to lag in container volume.

Rotterdam in the Netherlands is the busiest non-Asian port with a throughput of 13.8 million TEUs, followed by Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium at 13.5 million TEUs.

Meanwhile, the Port of Los Angeles, the largest in the United States, only ranks 16th in the world with a throughput of 10.3 million TEUs. Long Beach follows at position 19 with 9.6 million TEUs.