Container throughput at the world’s largest ports in 2025 nowed resilience despite geopotical disruptions in the Middle east, reported the American Journal of Transportation.
Shanghai led the global rankings with more than 55 million TEU, followed by Singapore at 44 million TEU and Ningbo- Zhoushan at 43 million TEU.
The port of Los Angeles, the largest in the United States, handled 10.24 million TEU, a figure smaller than the gap between Shanghai and its nearest rivals.
Nine of the top ten container ports were located in Asia, with six in China.
The UAE’s Port of Jebel Ali ranked ninth, while Rotterdam was the first European port on the list with 14.2 million TEU.
European ports faced erratic flows due to Middle East conflict, US tariff policies and de-risking from China.
Rotterdam remained Europe’s hub with 14.2 million TEU, while Antwerp-Bruges posted 13.63 million TEU.
Hamburg ranked 26th with 2.3 million TEU, though US volumes fell by 25.6 percent.
Mediterranean ports also posted strong volumes in 2025.
Tanger Med in Morocco handled over 11 million TEU, while Valencia managed 5.7 million TEU and Egypt’s Port of Said 5.57 million TEU.
In North America, Los Angeles and Long Beach remained dominant, while New York/New Jersey and Savannah benefited from shifting volumes to the US East Coast.
Houston continued to grow with 4.3 million TEU.
Canada’s Vancouver handled 3.78 million TEU, while Montreal posted 1.52 million TEU.
Mexico’s Manzanillo ranked 53rd with 3.89 million TEU, Lazaro Cardenas 80th with 2.16 million TEU and Veracruz 95th with 1.3 million TEU.
Panama’s Colon and Balboa ports collectively reinforced their role as key hubs for US Gulf and East Coast trade.
OOCL offers China Australia Express
Orient Overseas Container Line has announced a new China Australia Express Loop service branded A3X, with the first sailing scheduled from Qingdao on 27 July 2026, reported the company in a press release.
The A3X service is designed to strengthen OOCL’s existing A3 network, offering customers greater flexibility, faster transit options and wider market access.
With the addition of A3X, OOCL will operate four weekly sailings across its A3 network, boosting frequency and capacity for importers and exporters and reinforcing its position in the Northeast Asia to East Coast Australia trade.
The southbound rotation will cover Qingdao, Shanghai, Shekou, Melbourne and Sydney, while the northbound loop will run from Melbourne and Sydney back to Qingdao, Shanghai and Shekou.
Non-container trade also posted strong growth in May, rising 14.5 percent to 2.32 million revenue tonnes.
For the financial year to date, non-container trade rose 1.2 percent to 22.81 million revenue tonnes.
CMA CGM orders 8 box ships from Hengli
French container line CMA CGM has signed firm shipbuilding contracts for eight mid-sized containerships with Chinese shipbuilder Hengli Heavy Industry, reports London’s Lloyd’s List.
The firm contract covers eight 6,000 TEU vessels with deliveries scheduled for 2029.
The vessels are expected to follow a design developed by the Marine Design and Research Institute of China.
The Marseille-based carrier already operates six vessels based on this design which feature conventional fuel systems but are ammonia-ready.
In addition to the latest order CMA CGM is set to charter a further 10 vessels of the same class from Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping.
While the fuel type for the eight new vessels remains undisclosed, the French carrier has heavily favoured liquefied natural gas propulsion in recent years.
The company holds the largest newbuilding orderbook among global liner operators with 160 ships on order.
For Hengli Heavy Industry, securing the company as a customer enhances a backlog of more than 60 containership newbuildings amassed over the past three years.
The yard has secured orders for at least 130 vessels across multiple shipping sectors since the beginning of 2026.
The Chinese company was revived from the bankrupt STX Dalian shipyard and resumed operations in January 2023.
It recently overtook South Korea Hanwha Ocean to become the third-largest shipbuilding group in the world.
The shipbuilder confirmed plans to raise US$1 billion through a share issuance to support its expanding orderbook, which includes a new.
China's refined oil exports rise in May
China’s exports of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel rose in May compared with April, though volumes remained far below last year due to restrictions imposed to safeguard domestic supply during the Iran war, reported Reuters.
Customs data showed refined oil product exports outside Hong Kong and Macau climbed 40 percent from April but were down 69 percent year-on-year.
Export curbs do not cover refuelling of international ships and planes or shipments to Hong Kong and Macau, where levels were steady.
Gasoline exports hit a decade low in April at just over 23,400 tonnes and rose slightly in May to 32,838 tonnes.
Myanmar was the only destination apart from Hong Kong and Macau, receiving 8,405 tonnes.
Diesel exports, including biodiesel, more than doubled to 216,196 tonnes in May, up 53 percent from April.
Bangladesh received 62,772 tonnes, Sri Lanka 28,700 tonnes, and Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand together took 77,079 tonnes.
Australia imported 20,255 tonnes as the only non-Asian buyer.
Biodiesel exports rose 11.5 percent to 43,636 tonnes, with the Netherlands and Belgium as major importers.
It remains unclear if restrictions cover biodiesel.
Jet fuel exports slumped 61 percent year-on-year to 499,388 tonnes but rose 20 percent from April.
Vietnam received more than 97,900 tonnes, while Australia took 79,000 tonnes under an agreed volume.
Melbourne lifts 300,000 TEU in May
The Port of Melbourne processed 300,000 TEU in May 2026, up 2.4 percent year-on-year, reports London’s Port Technology International.
Full imports excluding Bass Strait rose 7.5 percent to 119,000 TEU, while full exports increased 9.7 percent to 60,000 TEU, Transshipment volumes strengthened, rising 22 percent to 20,000 TEU.
Bass Strait trade grew 5.1 percent to 22,000 TEU Empty container movements were the only major decline, falling 12.4 percent to 79,000 TEU.
On a financial year-to-date basis, total throughput reached 3.22 million TEU, up 3.5 percent, equivalent to 109,000 TEU.
Imports rose 3.7 percent to 1.28 million TEU while exports edged down 0.3 percent to 634,000 TEU.
Transshipment volumes fell 6.4 percent to 166,000 TEU, while Bass Strait trade rose 3.5 percent and empty containers increased 8.2 percent.
DP World adds cranes to Southampton
DP World has received two of Europe’s largest quay cranes at Southampton in a GBP60 million (US$79.3 million) investment to boost capacity for larger ships and higher trade volumes, reported Saint Petersburg’s Port News.
The fully assembled cranes arrived by sea on 19 June and will be discharged directly onto the terminal quayside early next week.
Each weigh more than 2,000 tonnes and stands nearly 150 metres high, over 50 metres taller than Big Ben.
The cranes are the first of two pairs scheduled for delivery in 2026, with a second pair due later this year.
Once installed, Southampton will have 16 cranes serving the port.
Capable of handling the largest container ships in operation, including 24,000-TEU vessels, the cranes can perform tandem lifts of two 40ft containers at once.
DP World said the investment will improve efficiency, reliability and vessel turnaround times.
Southampton is the UK’s third- largest container port, with links to Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.
The terminal handled more than two million TEU in 2025, contributing to DP World’s UK total of over five million TEU in a national market of more than nine million TEU.
