October National Port Data Released | Foreign Trade Slows Down—Why Are Chinese Ports Still Busy?

Recently, ports across the country delivered a solid “report card.” From January to October, China’s ports handled a total cargo throughput of 15.13 billion tons, up 4.3% year-on-year; and processed 290 million TEUs, an increase of 6.4% over the same period last year, demonstrating the strong vitality of China’s ports.

Looking solely at the October data, one “divergence” deserves attention. In October, China’s ports handled a total cargo throughput of 1.57 billion tons, up 2.2% year-on-year; container throughput reached 29.98 million TEUs, an increase of 7.3% over the same period last year—both figures continued their upward trend. However, according to customs data for the same period, China’s total import and export value in October, measured in U.S. dollars, came to 520.63 billion U.S. dollars, down 0.3% year-on-year. Specifically, exports fell by 1.1%, marking the lowest monthly export figure since March. Among specific markets, exports to the U.S. saw a substantial year-on-year decline, and growth rates for exports to Japan and Europe also narrowed significantly.

From January to October, the top ten container throughput ports nationwide were: Shanghai Port (No. 1), Ningbo-Zhoushan Port (No. 2), Shenzhen Port (No. 3), Qingdao Port (No. 4), Guangzhou Port (No. 5), Tianjin Port (No. 6), Xiamen Port (No. 7), Suzhou Port (No. 8), Beibu Gulf Port (No. 9), and Rizhao Port (No. 10). Among these ports, several have achieved breakthrough growth by adopting differentiated strategies.

In terms of scale, the cargo throughput of China's major ports has been steadily increasing in recent years. Last year, among the world's top 10 ports in terms of total cargo throughput, China accounted for 8 slots; among the top 10 ports in terms of container throughput, Chinese ports occupied 6 slots. Looking at the structure, the proportion of containerized cargo in port cargo mix continues to rise. For example, last year, Shanghai Port’s container throughput exceeded 50 million TEUs, ranking first globally for many consecutive years. The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port not only ranks first in the world in total cargo throughput but is also closing in on Singapore Port, which currently ranks second globally in container throughput.

High-value-added goods and clean energy are forging a new growth engine.

The resilience of port throughput stems first and foremost from a profound optimization of the cargo mix. Beyond the fluctuations of traditional bulk commodities, high-value-added goods and clean energy are emerging as powerful growth drivers.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Transport, in the first three quarters of 2025, China's exports of electromechanical products increased by 9.6% year-on-year, accounting for 60.5% of total exports. Among these, exports of the "new three items"—including new-energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products, which represent "new-quality productivity"—continued to grow steadily.

Case Support: These high-value, high-priced products have generated stable and robust demand for container shipping, directly underpinning the port’s container throughput—up 6.4% year-on-year—and particularly driving the exceptional performance of foreign trade container throughput, which rose by 8.9% year-on-year. Meanwhile, in the bulk cargo sector, demand for transporting clean energy sources such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) has grown significantly, emerging as a key growth driver for the bulk cargo business.

This indicates that Chinese ports are efficiently supporting the country’s strategies for industrial upgrading and energy transition. The shift in cargo flows from “heavy volume” to “high value” not only enhances the ports’ ability to create value but also strengthens their resilience against traditional trade fluctuations.

Unblock the Ren and Du meridians to activate intrinsic motivation.

The growth in port throughput is inseparable from the deepening expansion into inland hinterlands and the revolutionary improvement of the collection and distribution system. The domestic trade and intermodal transport networks provide crucial buffers.

Recently, data released at the 2025 Land-Sea New Channel Shipping Conference showed that from January to October, the cargo throughput of inland river ports across China increased by 5.9% year-on-year—a growth rate higher than that of coastal ports during the same period. The annual volume of rail-sea intermodal freight trains on the Western Land-Sea New Channel exceeded 1 million TEUs for the first time, representing an increase of over 110 times compared to 2017, and the network now covers 127 countries.

Case Support: Thanks to deepening its expansion into the inland hinterland and improving its collection and distribution system, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port saw its container throughput surge by 10.5% year-on-year from January to October, far exceeding the national average growth rate. Fuzhou Port has achieved a "comeback," and the key to its success lies in the dual upgrade of its infrastructure—specifically, the commissioning of a 200,000-ton Berth—and its multimodal transport system—the nation's first "single-bill" railway freight train. This has driven the port’s throughput growth from negative to positive and reduced logistics costs by approximately 10%.

HIRI FUTURE believes that port competition has evolved from a simple comparison of "port efficiency" to a comprehensive supply-chain competition involving "ports + corridors + inland nodes." The smooth operation of multimodal transport has significantly reduced social logistics costs, attracting cargo flows from an even wider hinterland. As a result, ports can maintain stability during fluctuations in foreign trade by relying on domestic trade and transshipment businesses, demonstrating strong network synergy and endogenous momentum.

Head Leadership and System Resilience:
Efficiently manage and hedge against market fluctuations.

Faced with the cyclical adjustments in the shipping market, China’s major ports have demonstrated exceptional operational efficiency and adaptability, smoothing out the impact of market fluctuations on actual cargo volumes.

As of now, the Port of Shanghai remains firmly in first place globally with a throughput exceeding 46.07 million TEUs. Major ports such as the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, the Port of Shenzhen, and the Port of Qingdao have all maintained steady growth, with growth rates no lower than 10%. Among this year’s ports, Yangpu Port is undoubtedly the “dark horse” in terms of growth rate. From January to October, Yangpu Port handled 2.47 million TEUs, representing a year-on-year growth rate as high as 52.2%, far ahead of other ports. Moreover, benefiting from the policy dividends of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, Beibu Gulf Port has become one of the top ten ports in terms of cargo throughput growth. From January to October, Beibu Gulf Port processed over 400 million tons of cargo, with a year-on-year growth rate reaching 9.5%, significantly outpacing other leading ports.

Although the freight rate index for some overseas routes saw a slight pullback in October, spot market rates generally stabilized and rebounded in the second half of the month.

Of the world’s top ten ports in terms of cargo throughput, eight are located in China; similarly, six of the top ten ports in container throughput are also in China. This has created a massive port cluster with a well-organized, tiered structure. HIRI FUTURE believes that the dense global route networks and operational efficiency of leading ports ensure the reliability of supply chains. When demand for certain regional routes fluctuates, ports can maintain smooth overall throughput by adopting flexible route arrangements, optimizing Berth allocation, and enhancing operational efficiency. The comprehensive strength of a port system lies in its ability to absorb, digest, and adapt to short-term fluctuations in external markets.

Beyond the cycle, moving toward a core node in the global supply chain.

From January to October 2025, China's ports as a whole maintained resilient growth, yet they also exhibited distinct divergent trends: "overall growth diverging from monthly performance," and "steady performance among leading ports coupled with explosive growth in specialized segments." This indicates that the growth logic of China's ports has undergone a fundamental shift—from relying on the benefits of foreign trade volume to embracing a composite growth model driven jointly by upgrading industrial structures, deepening regional integration, innovating multimodal transport, and achieving systemically efficient operations.

This multidimensional and systematic dynamic structure has transformed China’s ports from mere “barometers” of trade flows into “strategic fulcrums” that serve national strategies, support industrial upgrading, and optimize regional coordination. From Shanghai—the world’s largest container port—to Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, which leads the way in growth rate, and to Fuzhou Port, which has staged a remarkable “comeback” through multimodal transport, China’s port clusters are now forging a new ecosystem characterized by clear hierarchical structures, complementary strengths, and synergistic development.

Looking ahead, driven by the dual forces of high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the deepening of a unified domestic market, China’s ports will continue to upgrade toward intelligence, greenness, and networking, building on their ongoing consolidation of scale advantages. Their position as a critical hub in the global supply chain will also be further strengthened. The systemic resilience, structural vitality, and service efficiency honed in a complex environment are now forming an important cornerstone for China’s high-quality economic development and its deeper integration into the global division of labor.