25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: Loaded trucks leave a Hong Kong container terminal.
Photographs: Kin Cheung/Reuters

Thousands of containers carrying consumer goods and raw materials are transported by ships all across the world everyday.

Let's take a look at some of the largest ports handling this massive task.

NOTE: TEU, or 20-foot equivalent unit, describes the capacity of container ships and container terminals.

Source: smithsonianmag.com

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Tags: TEU , NOTE

25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: An aerial view shows vehicles travelling on intersections at night in downtown Shanghai, China.
Photographs: Aly Song/Reuters

Shanghai

Country: China

Total volume: 31.74 million TEUs

Overall rank: 1

Shanghai Port, which began operations in 1842, is also the world's busiest container port, handling nearly 32 million TEUs in 2012.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A worker abseils in front of an advertising hoarding that fronts a shopping centre at Orchard Road, Singapore's central shopping district.
Photographs: Russell Boyce/Reuters

Singapore

Country: Singapore

Total volume: 29.94 million TEUs

Overall rank: 2

Singapore Port, which was constructed in 1819, is the second-busiest port in the world.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A man walks past an advertisement board at the electronic shopping district Akihabara in Tokyo, Japan.
Photographs: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

Hong Kong

Country: Hong Kong

Total volume: 24.38 million TEUs

Overall rank: 3

Hong Kong Port, which currently has nine container terminals, is one of the busiest ports in the world.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A painter works on a portrait in a studio at Dafen Oil Painting Village in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province.
Photographs: Jason Lee/Reuters

Shenzhen

Country: China

Total volume: 22.57 million TEUs

Overall rank: 4

Shenzhen Port, which is home to 39 shipping companies, is one of the important ports in China.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: An artist adds finishing touches to a sand sculpture of a cat at the Haeundae Sand Festival in Busan, South Korea.
Photographs: Nicky Loh/Reuters

Busan

Country: South Korea

Total volume: 6.16 million TEUs

Overall rank: 5

Busan Port, which started operations in 1876, is the largest port in South Korea.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A man falls on a slippery road while on his way to the South Railway Station in Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang province.
Photographs: China Newsphoto Handout/Reuters

Ningbo

Country: China

Total volume: 14.72 million TEUs

Overall rank: 6

Ningbo Port, which traces its roots to 738, carries out trade with 560 ports from more than 90 countries and regions in the world.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A newly-born giant panda cub sits inside a basket at a zoo in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
Photographs: Stringer/Reuters

Guangzhou

Country: China

Total volume: 14.26 million TEUs

Overall rank: 7

Guangzhou Port, which used to serve as a trading port as the 'Silk Road on the Sea', is currently the largest comprehensive port in South China.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A cow is attached to a BMW car in Qingdao, Shandong province, China. The driver of the damaged BMW had tethered the animal to his vehicle to express his anger towards a garage which he believed not only aggravated the damages to his car, but had also refused to compensate him for it.
Photographs: China Daily/Reuters

Qingdao

Country: China

Total volume: 13.02 million TEUs

Overall rank: 8

Qingdao Port, which is located on the Yellow Sea, is one of the busiest ports in the world.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: People shop in Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Photographs: Ghazal Watfa/Reuters

Dubai

Country: United Arab Emirates

Total volume: 12.62 million TEUs

Overall rank: 9

Dubai Port is also one of the busiest ports in the world.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A lone skater skates past three windmills in Kinderdijk near Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters

Rotterdam

Country: The Netherlands

Total volume: 11.88 million TEUs

Overall rank: 10

Rotterdam Port, which has been operating since 14th century, is the largest port in Europe.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: Adili Wuxor, front, who is known as 'Prince of the Tightrope', and his apprentice walk on a tightrope above the Great Wall in Tianjin, China.
Photographs: China Daily/Reuters

Tianjin

Country: China

Total volume: 11.59 million TEUs

Overall rank: 11

Tianjin Port, which has been operating since 1860, is the largest port in northern China.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A 'Rubber Duck' by Dutch conceptual artist Florentijn Hofman on display at Kaohsiung Harbor, southern Taiwan.
Photographs: Pichi Chuang/Reuters

Kaohsiung

Country: Taiwan

Total volume: 9.64 million TEUs

Overall rank: 12

Kaohsiung Port, which has been operating since 1858, is the largest harbor in Taiwan.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A view of Port Kelang, Malaysia.
Photographs: Hafiz343/Wikimedia Commons

Port Kelang

Country: Malasyia

Total volume: 9.44 million TEUs

Overall rank: 13

Port Kelang is the main gateway by sea into Malaysia.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A view of a store located on the main shopping street Moenkebergstrasse in the northern German city of Hamburg.
Photographs: Christian Charisius/Reuters

Hamburg

Country: Germany

Total volume: 9.01 million TEUs

Overall rank: 14

Hamburg Port, which has been operating since 1189, is called Germany's 'Gateway to the World'.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: The port of Anwerp is seen behind the Belgian village of Doel.
Photographs: Yves Herman/Reuters

Antwerp

Country: Belgium

Total volume: 8.66 million TEUs

Overall rank: 15

Antwerp Port is one of the largest sea ports in Europe.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: Holiday shoppers walk past fashion store H&M at The Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, United States.
Photographs: Fred Prouser/Reuters

Los Angeles

Country: United States

Total volume: 7.94 million TEUs

Overall rank: 16

Los Angeles Port, which has been operating since 1907, occupies 7,500 acres of land and water.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A view of Tanjung Pelepas Port in Malaysia.
Photographs: Xtrememachineuk/Wikimedia Commons

Tanjung Pelepas

Country: Malasyia

Total volume: 7.30 million TEUs

Overall rank: 17

Tanjung Pelepas Port holds the world record for fastest growing port.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

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

Xiamen

Country: China

Total volume: 6.45 million TEUs

Overall rank: 18

Xiamen Port is the first mainland port to start direct shipment of cargo to Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: People enjoy a ride at an amusement park in Dalian, Liaoning province, China.
Photographs: Stringer/Reuters

Dalian

Country: China

Total volume: 6.40 million TEUs

Overall rank: 19

Dalian Port, which has been operating since 1899, serves seaports in north and east Asia and the Pacific Rim.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A view of Long Beach, California, United States.
Photographs: Tisoy/Wikimedia Commons

Long Beach

Country: United States

Total volume: 6.06 million TEUs

Overall rank: 20

Long Beach Port, which has been operating since 1911, generates more than $100 billion in trade.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A woman walks with her dog on a dyke along the Weser River in Bremen, Germany.
Photographs: Christian Charisius/Reuters

Bremen

Country: Germany

Total volume: 5.92 million TEUs

Overall rank: 21

Bremen Port is located in the second-most populous city in northern Germany.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: A view of Laem Chabang port in Chonburi province, east of Bangkok, Thailand.
Photographs: Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters

Laem Chabang

Country: Thailand

Total volume: 5.73 million TEUs

Overall rank: 22

Laem Chabang Port is the largest port in Thailand.

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25 largest shipping ports in the world

Image: Dancers welcome the UK Royal Navy personnel of HMS Kent, docked in Tanjung Priok harbour, in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Photographs: Dadang Tri/Reuters

Tanjung Priok

Country: Indonesia

Total volume: 5.62 million TEUs

Overall rank: 23

Tanjung Priok Port is the largest seaport in Indonesia.

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