Throughput 2013: 16,770,000 teu – up 3.98 per cent on 2012 (16,175,000 teu)

The third largest port in mainland China, Ningbo’s rapid, double-digit growth seen over the past few years appears to have ended. In 2013 its growth was much more aligned to the rate seen in neighbouring Shanghai.

Currently under development at the port is an extension to the Meishan Container Terminal, after APM Terminals and Ningbo Port Group struck an agreement in 2012 to build and operate three berths. Scheduled to be operational by the end of this year, the new facility will add an extra 2.8 million teu of capacity to the port. It is likely to act almost as a dedicated terminal for Maersk Line – and probably for Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), too, if Chinese regulators approve the proposed 2M vessel sharing agreement between the two lines.

Currently Maersk’s various strings call at five different terminals in three different customs jurisdictions, resulting in significant extra haulage and other landside costs.

Topics

The world's top 10 container ports

Shanghai container port

The Chinese behemoth gateway of Shanghai maintained its position as the world’s busiest container port. Container and Shipping Trade looks at the biggest 10 container ports and compares 2013 throughput with 2012.