Shanghai ports to break 50 million container barrier, set global shipping record in 2024
The city is investing in infrastructure and technology to support growth, while also liberalising its finance sector to attract international shipping businesses
Mayor Gong Zheng told the North Bund Forum, a shipping industry conference, on Tuesday that Shanghai would handle more than 50 million 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers this year, enough to help the city retain its crown as the world’s No. 1 container port.
“Shanghai will become the world’s first city to break through the 50-million TEU threshold,” Gong said, adding that the government will continue allocating resources to build Shanghai into an international shipping centre.
The city handled 49.16 million TEUs last year, an increase of 3.9 per cent from 2022. The mainland’s most developed metropolis has remained the world’s biggest container port since 2010 when it overtook Singapore, which is currently placed second.
In the first nine months of 2024, Shanghai handled 39.1 million TEUs, 8 per cent higher than a year earlier.
