Shanghai Port handled a record high of more than 55 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo in 2025, cementing its position as the world’s busiest container port for the 16th consecutive year.

The milestone follows Shanghai Port's achievement in 2024, when it became the world's first port to surpass 50 million TEUs in annual container throughput (51.51 million).

A key contributor to the record performance was the Yangshan Deepwater Port, which handled 28.71 million TEUs in 2025, accounting for 52.2 percent of Shanghai's total throughput of all ports, up from 50.5 percent in 2024.

The port's operational excellence was enhanced by innovations such as implementing a synchronized three-vessel berthing/unberthing cycle during all tidal windows.

Since its introduction, the method has reduced vessel turnaround times by an average of two hours per call and unlocked additional handling capacity equivalent to 1.08 million TEUs.

To mitigate the impact of adverse weather, Yangshan Port optimized its forecasting mechanisms and berthing resource allocation, ensuring stable operations even under extreme weather conditions.

Shanghai Port also accelerated its green transition, with liquefied natural gas bunkering volumes rising more than 60 percent year-on-year.

Looking ahead, ongoing expansion projects, including the development of the north area of Xiaoyangshan Island into an automated container terminal, are expected to further enhance the port's capacity.

Sources: Xinmin Evening News, Jiefang Daily