World’s Busiest Container Ports

Cranes are versatile construction machinery and have many applications. One of the many industries that depend on various crane types is shipping industries. All ports are equipped with various crane types. However, from all the types, the most efficient and most commonly used one for loading and unloading is the container crane. This large cranes consist of a framework and a spreader. All ports, major and smaller, have this crane type on site to ensure easy access and quick operation. Depending on the work load, depends the number of cranes and crane types that one port may require. Of course, the busiest ports will have more than one crane type to ensure quick loading and unloading. Many factors determine just how busy a port is – the weight of the loads, the number of ships, the number of containers moved, etc. But the world’s busiest container ports usually are being measured in terms of cargo shipped in standard containers or Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU). Take a look at our list of world’s busiest container ports.

Port of Shanghai, China – According to the annual report of 2012, the Port of Shanghai, China is the busiest container port in the world with 32.5 million TEUs of containers. The port plays an essential role in serving the economic development and has successfully handled 755 million tonnes of cargo in 2012. This port is located at Yangtze River on an area of 3,619 km² and has three main container port areas: Wusongkou, Waigaoqiao and Yangshan.

Port of Singapore, Singapore – Every two minutes, a ship arrives at or departs from the Port of Singapore. This port handled about 538 million tonnes of cargo in 2012 and about 31 million TEUs of containers, which makes it the second busiest container port in the world. Port’s terminals are located at Tanjong Pagar, Keppel, Brani, Pasir Panjang. Jurong and Sembawang. On an annual basis, the Port of Singapore connects about 600 ports in the world and receives about 140,000 vessels.

Port of Hong Kong, China – This is the third busiest container port in the world with about 25 million TEUs of containers. Situated in the South China Sea, the Port of Hong Kong is very instrumental in the economic furtherance of the city and it is owned and operated by the private sector. It is of big importance as it is a vital entry point into southern China with over 70% container traffic handled in Hong Kong. Also, it handles about 88% of Hong Kong’s total cargo and has an integral role in the global supply chain.

Port of Shenzhen, China – Located in Guandong Province of China, this port is also one of the biggest container ports in the world located in China and handling about 23 million TEUs of containers. The port’s coastline is over 22km long and has an annual handling capacity of about 85 million tons of cargo. Currently, the Port of Shenzhen has 140 berths and is home to 39 shipping companies.

Port of Busan, South Korea – The Port of Busan is located in the Naktong River in South Korea and is one of the biggest container ports based on TEU. This port handled about 17 million TEUs of containers and about 300 millions of cargo. It is operated and managed by the Busan Port Authority (BPA) and is spread on an area of 850,000m² with six container terminals. The Port of Busan is capable of dealing with up to 50,000t of weight and processing cargo of 6.14 tons per year.