Photographs: Aly Song/Reuters
Global consumer demand dictates the flow of container shipping, so if you want to know where trade is heaviest, follow the container.
Let's us have a look at the world's busiest ports measured in terms of total number of actual twenty-foot equivalent units transported through the port.
Shanghai
Country: China
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 29,069
Global rank: 1
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: The Marina Bay Sands Hotel and ArtScience Museum is seen before Earth Hour in Singapore.Photographs: Matthew Lee/Reuters
Singapore
Country: Singapore
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 28,431
Global rank: 2
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A cityscape of Hong Kong is see from the Peak, moments after sunset.Photographs: Bobby Yip/Reuters
Hong Kong
Country: Hong Kong
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 23,699
Global rank: 3
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: High rise commercial and residential buildings are seen in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.Photographs: Tyrone Siu/Reuters
Shenzhen
Country: China
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 22,510
Global rank: 4
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A tractor trailer hauls a cargo container at a yard in Busan port.Photographs: Jo Yong Hak/Reuters
Busan
Country: South Korea
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 14,194
Global rank: 5
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A general view shows the Hangzhou Bay Bridge in Ningbo.Photographs: Stringer/Reuters
Ningbo
Country: China
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 13,144
Global rank: 6
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A woman pushes her bicycle on Haizhu Bridge, a landmark of China's southern city of Guangzhou.Photographs: Bobby Yip/Reuters
Guangzhou
Country: China
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 12,550
Global rank: 7
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: General view shows Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in Qingdao.Photographs: China Daily/Reuters
Qingdao
Country: China
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 12,012
Global rank: 8
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: People stand near the fashion dome in Mall of the Emirates, Dubai.Photographs: Jumana El Heloueh/Reuters
Dubai
Country: The United Arab Emirates
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 11,600
Global rank: 9
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: The Distilleerketel, a windmill built in 1727 and used to grind rye, can be seen at Delfshaven, an area of Rotterdam, the Netherlands.Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters
Rotterdam
Country: The Netherlands
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 11,140
Global rank: 10
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: Visitors look at the 'China House' in Tianjin. The house is decorated with hundreds of millions of ancient porcelain flakes, ancient bowls, dishes and vases, inlaid everywhere in the architecture.Photographs: Reinhard Krause/Reuters
Tianjin
Country: China
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 10,080
Global rank: 11
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A man looks out of a shopping mall decorated with lights in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.Photographs: Nicky Loh/Reuters
Kaohsiung
Country: Taiwan
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 9,180
Global rank: 12
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: The world's largest ocean liner Queen Mary 2 arrives at a jetty in Port Klang, outside Kuala Lumpur.Photographs: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters
Port Klang
Country: Malaysia
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 8,870
Global rank: 13
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A vendor inspects 0.20 carat diamonds during the 3rd Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair in Antwerp.Photographs: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
Antwerp
Country: Belgium
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 8,470
Global rank: 14
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: General view of inner city town hall and Christmas market in Hamburg.Photographs: Christian Charisius/Reuters
Hamburg
Country: Germany
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 7,910
Global rank: 15
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A crane unloads a container from a vessel in Malaysia's Port of Tanjung Pelepas in the southern state of Johor.Photographs: Patrick Chalmers/Reuters
Tanjung Pelepas
Country: Malaysia
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 6,540
Global rank: 16
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A general view of the downtown area is pictured in Los Angeles.Photographs: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Los Angeles
Country: The United States
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 6,540
Global rank: 17
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A view of the clock tower in downtown Long Beach, California.Photographs: Handout/Reuters
Long Beach
Country: The United States
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 6,260
Global rank: 18
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A tourist rides a cable car above old buildings which date back to the 1920s and 1930s, in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen.Photographs: Ben Blanchard/Reuters
Xiamen
Country: China
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 5,820
Global rank: 19
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: The Intrepid Museum rests in the foreground as the Empire State Building rises from the cityscape in New York.Photographs: Lucas Jackson/Reuters
New York/New Jersey
Country: The United States
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 5,290
Global rank: 20
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: Chinese workers take a break at a shipyard in the port city of Dalian, in Liaoning province.Photographs: Claro Cortes/Reuters
Dalian
Country: China
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 5,260
Global rank: 21
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: Toyota Hilux Tiger mini-trucks board a Panama-registered cargo ship at the deep-sea port of Laem Chabang on the Eastern seaboard of Thailand.Photographs: Stringer/Reuters
Laem Chabang
Country: Thailand
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 5,190
Global rank: 22
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: Woman walks with her dog on a dyke along the Weser river in Bremen.Photographs: Christian Charisius/Reuters
Bremen/Bremerhaven
Country: Germany
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,890
Global rank: 23
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: An aerial view of Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta.Photographs: Supri Supri/Reuters
Jakarta
Country: Indonesia
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,720
Global rank: 24
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: Japan's Mt Fuji, covered with snow, is seen through Shinjuku skyscrapers in Tokyo.Photographs: Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters
Tokyo
Country: Japan
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,280
Global rank: 25
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A devotee enters a Parsi fire temple in Mumbai.Photographs: Arko Datta/Reuters
Mumbai
Country: India
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,280
Global rank: 26
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: Buildings line up at the beach of Cullera near Valencia.Photographs: Heino Kalis/Reuters
Valencia
Country: Spain
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,210
Global rank: 27
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: A motorbike taxi driver takes a rest in front of an advertising billboard in Ho Chi Minh City.Photographs: Kham/Reuters
Ho Chi Minh City
Country: Vietnam
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,110
Global rank: 28
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: Fishermen sit on sticks while fishing in the traditional way in Koggala, south of Colombo.Photographs: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Reuters
Colombo
Country: Sri Lanka
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 4,080
Global rank: 29
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30 busiest ports in the world
Image: People run away from big waves affected by Typhoon Krosa at a levee in Lianyungang, China.Photographs: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Reuters
Lianyungang
Country: China
Container traffic (in thousand TEUs): 3,870
Global rank: 30
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