Infrastructure and automation improvements have helped port operators, but there is still more work to be done.
A new No. 1 leads off this year’s Transport Topics Top 50 list of the world’s largest freight companies.
Get a continent-by-continent and country- by-country look at where the Top 50 Global Freight Companies are based.
Rankings
Port Data
| Rank | Port Name | City | Type of Freight | TEUs 2022 | TEUs 2021 | % Change | Freight Tonnage (metric tons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port of Los Angeles | Los Angeles | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, special project cargo, refrigerated, passenger | 9,911,159 | 10,677,610 | -7.2% | 219,000,000* |
| 2 | Port of New York and New Jersey | New York | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, special project cargo, refrigerated, passenger | 9,493,664 | 8,985,929 | 5.7% | |
| 3 | Port of Long Beach | Long Beach, Calif. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, special project cargo, refrigerated, passenger | 9,133,657 | 9,384,368 | -2.7% | 193,354,062 |
| 4 | Port of Savannah | Savannah, Ga. | container, break bulk, heavy lift, automobile, refrigerated | 5,892,131 | 5,613,163 | 5.0% | 38,459,904 |
| 5 | Ports of Colon, Cristobal and Manzanillo | Colón, Panama | container, liquid bulk, dry bulk, passenger, transshipping | 5,058,556 | 4,915,975 | 2.9% | |
| 6 | Port Houston | Houston | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk | 3,974,901 | 3,453,226 | 15.1% | 49,950,465 |
| 7 | Port of Virginia | Norfolk, Va. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automobile | 3,703,231 | 3,522,834 | 5.1% | 59,398,828 |
| 8 | Port of Vancouver | Vancouver, British Columbia | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automobile, special project cargo, passenger | 3,557,294 | 3,678,952 | -3.3% | 142,469,186 |
| 9 | Port of Manzanillo | Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico | container, dry bulk, liquid bulk | 3,473,852 | 3,371,438 | 3.0% | 34,434,272 |
| 10 | Northwest Seaport Alliance | Seattle and Tacoma, Wash. | container, break bulk, liquid bulk, dry bulk, automobile, heavy lift, special project cargo, refrigerated, passenger, air cargo | 3,384,018 | 3,736,206 | -9.4% | 24,551,174 |
| 11 | Port of Balboa/PSA Panama International Terminal | Panama Int'l Terminals, Panama | container, transshipping | 3,347,861 | 3,561,432 | -6.0% | |
| 12 | Port of Charleston | Charleston, S.C. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, automobile, refrigerated | 2,792,313 | 2,751,442 | 1.5% | |
| 13 | Port of Oakland | Oakland, Calif. | container | 2,337,607 | 2,448,243 | -4.5% | |
| 14 | Port of Kingston | Kingston, Jamaica | container, heavy lift, liquid bulk | 2,137,500 | 1,975,401 | 8.2% | |
| 15 | Port of Montreal | Montreal | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, passenger | 1,722,704 | 1,728,114 | -0.3% | 35,997,337 |
| 16 | Port of Lázaro Cárdenas | Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, transshipping | 1,700,000 | 1,686,076 | 0.8% | |
| 17 | Port of Freeport | Freeport, Bahamas | container, passenger | 1,574,200 | 1,642,780 | -4.2% | |
| 18 | Port of Caucedo | Caucedo, Dominican Republic | container, refrigerated, transshipping | 1,406,500 | 1,250,000 | 12.5% | |
| 19 | Port of San Juan | San Juan, Puerto Rico | container | 1,398,600 | 1,438,738 | -2.8% | |
| 20 | Port of Jacksonville^ | Jacksonville, Fla. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automobile, heavy lift, refrigerated | 1,298,132 | 1,407,310 | -7.8% | 9,101,666 |
| 21 | Port Miami^ | Miami | container, passenger | 1,197,663 | 1,254,062 | -4.5% | 9,267,587 |
| 22 | Moín Container Terminal | Límon, Costa Rica | container | 1,182,854 | 1,319,372 | -10.3% | |
| 23 | Port Everglades | Broward County, Fla. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, passenger | 1,107,546 | 1,038,179 | 6.7% | 24,129,601 |
| 24 | Port of Baltimore | Baltimore | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automobile, refrigerated, passenger | 1,069,421 | 1,022,683 | 4.6% | 10,307,241 |
| 25 | Port of Prince Rupert | Prince Rupert, British Columbia | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, special project cargo, passenger | 1,035,639 | 1,054,836 | -1.8% | 24,593,720 |
| NOTE: Data for the ports of Kingston, Freeport, Caucedo and San Juan are via PortEconomics. Data for the Port of Lázaro Cárdenas is via the American Journal of Transportation. All other data is via port authorities. * Freight tonnage for the Port of Los Angeles is for fiscal year 2021-22, ended June 30, 2022. ^ Data for the Port of Jacksonville and Port Miami is for fiscal year 2021-22, ended Sept. 30, 2022. |
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2022 saw an eastern shift in North American ocean freight, while airfreight dipped across the continent.
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Learn more about Transport Topics’ Top 50 Global Freight Companies publication.
Houthi Attacks Push Shipping Giants to Pause Red Sea Voyages
Attacks on merchant ships by Houthi militants near Yemen in the Red Sea have prompted trade disruption, with major vessel owners Maersk and Hapag-Lloyg halting trips through the area.
December 15, 2023Cargo Workers Strike at Denver International Airport
Nearly 100 Swissport cargo workers at the Denver International Airport are on strike Dec. 11, protesting unsafe work conditions they say the company has been ignoring for more than a year.
December 11, 2023DHL Express Workers Strike at Cincinnati Air Cargo Hub
More than 1,100 unionized DHL Express workers walked off the job at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, a critical logistics hub for the package delivery company.
December 8, 2023NTSB Calls for California Shipping Fix After 2021 Oil Spill
The National Transportation Safety Board wants changes in how containerships are anchored off Southern California to help prevent oil pipeline ruptures like the 2021 spill off Huntington Beach.
December 6, 2023Pilotless FedEx, Reliable Robotics Plane Completes Flight
Reliable Robotics Corp. has flown a small cargo plane on loan from FedEx Corp. without a human on board, a step toward the autonomous flight startup winning regulatory approval.
December 6, 2023Shipping Giants Want End Date for Fossil Fuel-Only Vessels
Europe’s biggest container lines want to phase out ships powered only by fossil fuels, they say in a proposal jointly made by Mediterranean Shipping Co., Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd.
December 1, 2023Greek Shipping Giant Warns Panama Canal Chaos May Hit Suez
Congestion at the Panama Canal could result in delays at Egypt’s Suez Canal, possibly affecting cargoes of liquefied natural gas, according to an official at Angelicoussis Group.
November 29, 2023DP World Says Some Personal Employee Data Stolen in Hack
DP World Plc said workers’ personal information was stolen in the November cyberattack on the port operator’s Australian business.
November 28, 2023Shippers to Europe Facing $3.6 Billion Carbon Bill in 2024
Ships sailing to European ports face a combined carbon emissions bill of $3.6 billion next year, the start of a levy that’s likely to rise as Europe steps up efforts to combat climate change.
November 21, 2023Major Shippers Don’t Predict Issues Meeting Holiday Demand
Carriers like the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS Inc. have capacity to meet projected demand this holiday season, which is cheery news for shippers and shoppers alike.
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