China leads global container port productivity rankings

Global container port performance slipped between 2020 and 2024, weighed down by pandemic disruptions, the Red Sea crisis, and restrictions at the Panama Canal. Yet, a few regions managed to buck the trend, according to the latest Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), jointly released by the World Bank Group and S&P Global.

Now in its fifth edition, the 79-page study highlights sharp regional contrasts. East Asian ports outperformed peers and dominated the 2024 rankings, while South Asian gateways staged an impressive rebound over the past year. North American and European ports, though facing supply chain strains, largely held steady at their 2023 levels.

Performance gains were not limited to major hubs in advanced economies. Ports in developing nations also climbed the rankings between 2020 and 2024. Standout improvers include Dakar (Senegal), Jawaharlal Nehru Port (India), Mersin (Türkiye), Port Said (Egypt), and Posorja (Ecuador).

The CPPI serves as a global benchmark for port efficiency, covering 403 container terminals worldwide. Its findings are based on an extensive dataset of over 175,000 vessel calls and 247 million container moves, with particular emphasis on measuring total vessel turnaround time in port.