The Port of Singapore continues to rank as the world's busiest container shipping port despite shrinking volumes during the global trade downturn.
According to Newark's Journal of Commerce list of the Top World Container Ports, China's ports "largely weathered the worldwide recession and gained greater prominence," said the report.
The world's leading five ports in terms of box throughput volumes are ranked in the order of Singapore, followed by Shanghai which has clinched the number two spot from Hong Kong, then Shenzhen and Busan. All of these ports registered double-digit declines from 2008, including a 13.7% drop at Singapore.
It added that eight of the top nine ports are in Asia and six of the top nine are in China. Only two ports among the world's 15 busiest showed any growth in 2009, and both ports are located in China, namely Guangzhou in sixth place and Tianjin in 11th place.
The World Shipping Council's standings are 1) Singapore (29.9m TEU), 2) Shanghai (27.9m TEU), 3) Hong Kong (24.4m TEU), 4) Shenzhen (21.4m TEU), 5) Busan (13.4m TEU), 6) Dubai (11.8m TEU), 7) Ningbo-Zhousan (11.2m TEU), 8) Guangzhou (11m TEU), 9) Rotterdam (10.7m TEU), 10) Qingdao (10.3m TEU)