Ningbo-Zhoushan Port rises to No 7 in global ranking
Automated trucks transport containers as cargo ships are loaded and unloaded at the Jintang port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, Zhejiang province, on April 6. [Photo/IC]
Ningbo-Zhoushan, a major shipping hub comprising two coastal cities in East China's Zhejiang province, has climbed to No 7 in the 2025 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index — its highest ranking to date and the fourth consecutive rise in five years.
Released on July 11, the index evaluates global shipping centers based on port conditions, shipping services, and the overall business environment, using 16 secondary indicators.
Ranked 23rd in 2015, Ningbo-Zhoushan broke into the global top 10 in 2021 and has advanced one place each year since 2023.
In 2024, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port handled 1.377 billion metric tons of cargo, marking a 4 percent year-on-year increase. It also retained its title as the world's busiest port for the 16th consecutive year.
The port's container throughput reached 39.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up 11 percent year-on-year — the fastest growth in nearly seven years — securing third place globally.
In the first half of 2025, the port handled 21.048 million TEUs, a 9.8 percent increase from the same period last year.