30 busiest ports in the world

Image: Visitors walk through the Lujiazui Financial Area in Shanghai.
Photographs: Aly Song/Reuters

Global consumer demand dictates the flow of container shipping, so if you want to know where trade is heaviest, follow the container.

Let's us have a look at the world's busiest ports measured in terms of total number of actual twenty-foot equivalent units transported through the port.

Shanghai

Country: China

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 29,069

Global rank: 1

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Tags: , China , Shanghai

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: The Marina Bay Sands Hotel and ArtScience Museum is seen before Earth Hour in Singapore.
Photographs: Matthew Lee/Reuters

Singapore

Country: Singapore

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 28,431

Global rank: 2

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Tags: Singapore , Country

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A cityscape of Hong Kong is see from the Peak, moments after sunset.
Photographs: Bobby Yip/Reuters

Hong Kong

Country: Hong Kong

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 23,699

Global rank: 3

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30 busiest ports in the world

Image: High rise commercial and residential buildings are seen in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Photographs: Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Shenzhen

Country: China

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 22,510

Global rank: 4

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Tags: , China

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A tractor trailer hauls a cargo container at a yard in Busan port.
Photographs: Jo Yong Hak/Reuters

Busan

Country: South Korea

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 14,194

Global rank: 5

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Tags: , South Korea , Country , Busan

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A general view shows the Hangzhou Bay Bridge in Ningbo.
Photographs: Stringer/Reuters

Ningbo

Country: China

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 13,144

Global rank: 6

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Tags: , China

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A woman pushes her bicycle on Haizhu Bridge, a landmark of China's southern city of Guangzhou.
Photographs: Bobby Yip/Reuters

Guangzhou

Country: China

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 12,550

Global rank: 7

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Tags: , China , Guangzhou , Country

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: General view shows Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in Qingdao.
Photographs: China Daily/Reuters

Qingdao

Country: China

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 12,012

Global rank: 8

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Tags: , China

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: People stand near the fashion dome in Mall of the Emirates, Dubai.
Photographs: Jumana El Heloueh/Reuters

Dubai

Country: The United Arab Emirates

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 11,600

Global rank: 9

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Tags: United Arab Emirates , Container , Dubai

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: The Distilleerketel, a windmill built in 1727 and used to grind rye, can be seen at Delfshaven, an area of Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

Rotterdam

Country: The Netherlands

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 11,140

Global rank: 10

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Tags: , Rotterdam

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: Visitors look at the 'China House' in Tianjin. The house is decorated with hundreds of millions of ancient porcelain flakes, ancient bowls, dishes and vases, inlaid everywhere in the architecture.
Photographs: Reinhard Krause/Reuters

Tianjin

Country: China

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 10,080

Global rank: 11

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Tags: , China , Country , Tianjin

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A man looks out of a shopping mall decorated with lights in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.
Photographs: Nicky Loh/Reuters

Kaohsiung

Country: Taiwan

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 9,180

Global rank: 12

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Tags: , Taiwan

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: The world's largest ocean liner Queen Mary 2 arrives at a jetty in Port Klang, outside Kuala Lumpur.
Photographs: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters

Port Klang

Country: Malaysia

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 8,870

Global rank: 13

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Tags: , Port Klang , Malaysia , Country

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A vendor inspects 0.20 carat diamonds during the 3rd Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair in Antwerp.
Photographs: Francois Lenoir/Reuters

Antwerp

Country: Belgium

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 8,470

Global rank: 14

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Tags: , Antwerp , Country

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: General view of inner city town hall and Christmas market in Hamburg.
Photographs: Christian Charisius/Reuters

Hamburg

Country: Germany

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 7,910

Global rank: 15

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Tags: , Germany , Hamburg , Country

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A crane unloads a container from a vessel in Malaysia's Port of Tanjung Pelepas in the southern state of Johor.
Photographs: Patrick Chalmers/Reuters

Tanjung Pelepas

Country: Malaysia

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 6,540

Global rank: 16

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Tags: , Malaysia

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A general view of the downtown area is pictured in Los Angeles.
Photographs: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Los Angeles

Country: The United States

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 6,540

Global rank: 17

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Tags: , United States

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A view of the clock tower in downtown Long Beach, California.
Photographs: Handout/Reuters

Long Beach

Country: The United States

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 6,260

Global rank: 18

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Tags: , United States

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A tourist rides a cable car above old buildings which date back to the 1920s and 1930s, in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen.
Photographs: Ben Blanchard/Reuters

Xiamen

Country: China

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 5,820

Global rank: 19

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Tags: , China

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: The Intrepid Museum rests in the foreground as the Empire State Building rises from the cityscape in New York.
Photographs: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

New York/New Jersey

Country: The United States

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 5,290

Global rank: 20

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Tags: , United States

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: Chinese workers take a break at a shipyard in the port city of Dalian, in Liaoning province.
Photographs: Claro Cortes/Reuters

Dalian

Country: China

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 5,260

Global rank: 21

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Tags: , China , Dalian

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: Toyota Hilux Tiger mini-trucks board a Panama-registered cargo ship at the deep-sea port of Laem Chabang on the Eastern seaboard of Thailand.
Photographs: Stringer/Reuters

Laem Chabang

Country: Thailand

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 5,190

Global rank: 22

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30 busiest ports in the world

Image: Woman walks with her dog on a dyke along the Weser river in Bremen.
Photographs: Christian Charisius/Reuters

Bremen/Bremerhaven

Country: Germany

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,890

Global rank: 23

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Tags: , Germany

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: An aerial view of Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta.
Photographs: Supri Supri/Reuters

Jakarta

Country: Indonesia

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,720

Global rank: 24

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Tags: , Indonesia , Country , Jakarta

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: Japan's Mt Fuji, covered with snow, is seen through Shinjuku skyscrapers in Tokyo.
Photographs: Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters

Tokyo

Country: Japan

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,280

Global rank: 25

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Tags: , Tokyo , Japan

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A devotee enters a Parsi fire temple in Mumbai.
Photographs: Arko Datta/Reuters

Mumbai

Country: India

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,280

Global rank: 26

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30 busiest ports in the world

Image: Buildings line up at the beach of Cullera near Valencia.
Photographs: Heino Kalis/Reuters

Valencia

Country: Spain

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,210

Global rank: 27

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Tags: , Spain , Country , Valencia

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: A motorbike taxi driver takes a rest in front of an advertising billboard in Ho Chi Minh City.
Photographs: Kham/Reuters

Ho Chi Minh City

Country: Vietnam

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,110

Global rank: 28

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Tags: , Vietnam

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: Fishermen sit on sticks while fishing in the traditional way in Koggala, south of Colombo.
Photographs: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Reuters

Colombo

Country: Sri Lanka

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,080

Global rank: 29

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Tags: , Colombo

30 busiest ports in the world

Image: People run away from big waves affected by Typhoon Krosa at a levee in Lianyungang, China.
Photographs: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Reuters

Lianyungang

Country: China

Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 3,870

Global rank: 30

Tags: China

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