China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Overtakes Singapore To Become World’s Second-Largest Container Port

China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan port has surpassed Singapore to become the world’s second-busiest container port for the first time in six months, shipping analyst Alphaliner said.

Ningbo-Zhoushan handled 22.90 million TEU in the first half of 2026, an 8.8% increase from the same period last year. Singapore handled 22.74 million TEU, an increase of 4.7%.

The gap was only 160,000 TEU. Shanghai remained the world’s busiest container port, handling 28.74 million TEU in the first half, a 6.2% increase.

Ningbo-Zhoushan continues to grow

The expansion of the Jintang container hub at Ningbo-Zhoushan has contributed to its growth.

The second phase of the Jintang project was completed in July. All five operational container berths are now part of the development.

Jintang added 17 international routes in the first half of the year, while its container volumes grew 23.4%.

Ningbo-Zhoushan has grown steadily over the past two decades. Its container throughput passed 1 million TEU in 2001, 5 million TEU in 2005 and 10 million TEU in 2008.

The port passed 20 million TEU in 2015 and 30 million TEU in 2021. In 2025, it handled more than 40 million TEU for the first time.

By the end of 2025, Ningbo-Zhoushan had 309 container services connecting more than 700 ports in over 200 countries and regions.

Its total cargo throughput reached 1.432 billion tonnes.

Ningbo Zhoushan Port Co Ltd took its current name in 2016 after the former Ningbo Port Co Ltd acquired Zhoushan Port Co Ltd.

Singapore Remains Close Behind

The latest figures differ from the 2025 full-year rankings.

Ningbo-Zhoushan handled 43.87 million TEU in 2025, 11.63% more than the previous year, and ranked third globally. Singapore handled a record 44.66 million TEU and ranked second.

Alphaliner expects the competition between the two ports to remain close for the rest of 2026. It said Ningbo-Zhoushan’s growth could slow later in the year, giving Singapore a chance to regain second place.

Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Falls In rankings

The latest rankings also show the impact of disruption around the Strait of Hormuz on container traffic in the Middle East.

Dubai’s Jebel Ali port, which ranked 10th globally last year, has dropped to 32nd. Its container throughput fell from 7.77 million TEU in the first half of 2025 to 3.14 million TEU in the first half of 2026.

Its second-quarter volumes fell by more than 90% amid disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.

References: thelogisticnews, portnews