Container Port Traffic

Total number of containers loaded and unloaded at a country's ports, standardized to twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). One TEU equals a standard 20-foot shipping container (6.1m × 2.4m × 2.6m). A 40-foot container counts as 2 TEUs. Includes coastal shipping and international journeys. Transshipment traffic (containers unloaded and reloaded at intermediate ports) is double-counted (once as unload, once as load). Empty containers are included. Based on port authority records and containerized cargo manifests.

Container port traffic is a direct measure of international trade activity, as ~80% of global goods trade by volume travels by sea, and ~60% of that is containerized. High TEU throughput indicates export manufacturing strength (China, South Korea), transshipment hub status (Singapore, Dubai), or large import markets (US, Europe). Containerization revolutionized trade by reducing costs 90% and enabling just-in-time global supply chains. Port efficiency determines trade competitiveness and logistics costs.

Very Low: < 100,000 TEU/year (minimal trade - landlocked or subsistence economies) Low: 100,000-1 million TEU (limited trade - small ports) Moderate: 1-10 million TEU (significant trade - regional hubs) High: 10-40 million TEU (major trade - large economies or transshipment hubs) Very High: > 40 million TEU (global mega-ports - Shanghai 47M, Singapore 37M, Shenzhen 30M) Global total: ~815 million TEU (2021) Top 10 ports handle 30% of global container traffic Transshipment hubs (Singapore, Rotterdam) have high TEU relative to GDP

Coverage: ~150 countries with seaports Update frequency: Annual Source: World Bank WDI / national port authorities / Containerisation International Limitations: Transshipment double-counting inflates hub port volumes (Singapore moves many containers not destined for Singapore). Empty containers included (repositioning empties is significant traffic). Does not measure port efficiency (dwell time, crane productivity). Landlocked countries have zero values. Coastal countries without container ports not reported. Break-bulk cargo (non-containerized) not included. Data quality varies - major ports reliable, smaller ports estimated.