China gains as geopolitics redraws new global container port rankings

The global container-port hierarchy shifted sharply in the first half of 2026, with Ningbo-Zhoushan overtaking Singapore for second place and Port Klang, Malaysia entering the top 10. The biggest reversal occurred in the Middle East, where Dubai’s Jebel Ali fell from 10th to 32nd as disruptions from the Iran war around the Strait of Hormuz diverted cargo and forced carriers to redesign their networks. China’s Shanghai remained the world’s busiest container port, handling about 28. 7 million container units in the first six months of 2026, a 6. 2% increase from the same period a year earlier, according to Alphaliner.