How leading container ports deliver resilience and future growth

Maritime transport remains the backbone of global trade, and its transformation is most visible in the world’s leading container ports. Once simple cargo transfer points, they have evolved into strategic hubs that strengthen supply chain resilience, accelerate digital innovation, and drive maritime decarbonization. As container volumes increase and maritime trade and logistics grow in scale and complexity, port performance now plays a decisive role in shaping global competitiveness.

The Leading Container Ports of the World 2025 report captures this shift. Drawing on extensive data and insights from industry experts at leading shipping companies, it examines how ports are navigating a landscape defined by strong growth and persistent disruption. A total of 160 container ports were screened using a mix of objective indicators and a structured expert survey. Through a five‑pillar framework – enablers, connectivity and customer value, productivity, sustainability, and overall impact – the report provides a holistic view of how ports are adapting to the pressures of increased scale, digitalization, and decarbonization.

Government and port authorities shaping the strategic growth of container ports

Competitiveness in today’s container ports begins with a clear strategy and long‑term governance. As shown in the report, the world’s strongest ports are those that pair long‑term vision with robust institutional frameworks. This is essential as ports increasingly serve as strategic enablers of decarbonization, innovation, and industrial growth.

Key enablers such as land availability, investment in port automation and skilled resources, and alternative-fuel bunkering and shore charging infrastructure often sit outside the direct control of the terminal operators or port authorities. This makes collaboration between governments, regulators, and industry more important than ever.

“This is where long‑term planning becomes crucial,” says Dr Shahrin Osman, Business Development Director, DNV Maritime Advisory, and co-author of the report. “A typical port investment takes around ten years from decision to operation, while shipping lines receive newbuild vessels within two to four years. Ports must articulate their development plans early so that customers can plan their own networks and fleet deployment accordingly.”

Strategic clarity as a competitive advantage

Good governance delivers its value through clarity. Even during periods of congestion or operational pressure, ports that communicate a credible long‑term roadmap tend to retain the confidence of shipping lines and investors. Clear strategy, supported by coherent policy and aligned public/private sector involvement (including trade unions), signals stability and reduces uncertainty in an increasingly complex trade environment.

In the report’s five‑pillar framework, governance underpins a port’s ability to scale connectivity, improve productivity, and advance its sustainability ambitions. It also enables the wider ecosystem required for future fuels and shore‑power deployment.

As Osman notes, “The port of the future relies on a much wider set of capabilities and investments, many of which only government bodies or cross‑sector coalitions can deliver.” Ports that can bring these parties together under a shared, long‑term vision will be best positioned to stay competitive as trade patterns evolve and decarbonization accelerates.

Connectivity and digitalization accelerating port performance

As global supply chains grow more complex, the world’s leading container ports are strengthening their competitiveness through a combination of network connectivity and rapid advances in digitalization. The Leading Container Ports of the World 2025 report highlights how digital maturity has become a defining feature of high‑performing ports, with many now adopting AI‑driven terminal operating systems, predictive berth‑planning tools, autonomous gate processes, and digital documentation platforms.

Beyond immediate efficiency gains, digitalization unlocks longer‑term strategic benefits. Integrated port community systems support just‑in‑time arrivals, better coordination across logistics partners, and more predictable vessel scheduling. These capabilities, combined with strong maritime connectivity, enable ports to move cargo more efficiently and absorb disruptive events with greater agility.

“Digitalization is no longer optional,” says Osman. “Ports that invest early will be far better positioned to manage growth, improve transparency and reliability, and support the industry’s decarbonization ambitions.”

Sustainability underpinning long‑term port resilience

Sustainability has become another core driver of port competitiveness, with the maritime industry’s growing emphasis on environmental performance and community responsibility shaping investment decisions. The report shows ports accelerating efforts to reduce emissions by electrifying cargo-handling equipment, expanding shore-power capacity, and preparing for low-carbon fuels.

These developments are increasingly tied to a port’s wider role in the energy transition. Storage for alternative fuels and grid connection facilities are becoming strategic differentiators that demand close collaboration with public authorities and energy providers.

“Ports will play a defining role in how shipping decarbonizes,” says Osman. “Their readiness will influence how quickly the global fleet can adopt new fuels and technologies. Those that integrate decarbonization considerations into long-term planning will be best positioned as the sector moves towards a low-carbon future.”

Singapore tops the global port charts

The leading container ports of the world 2025 rankings highlight a port landscape defined by strong regional concentration, rising competition, and widening performance gaps. Asian ports continue to dominate the global top tier, driven by high volumes and connectivity, deep digital capabilities, and strong alignment among port authorities, policymakers, and industrial clusters.

Singapore leads the rankings across all five pillars, reaffirming its position as the world’s premier transshipment hub. Its emphasis on digitalization, just‑in‑time planning, and seamless multimodal integration enables high service reliability and rapid vessel turnaround. The port’s long‑term vision is reflected in major investments such as Tuas Port, where automation, digital twins, and advanced energy infrastructure are being deployed at an unprecedented scale.

“Singapore is the world’s largest transshipment and bunkering hub and remains at the cutting edge with continued investment in infrastructure, technology, and port-related services,” explains Osman. “This reflects a clear vision shared between its port authorities, world-leading terminal operators, and government partners, ensuring that investment remains aligned with long-term strategic goals.”

Shanghai reinforces global leadership in second place

Shanghai, the world’s busiest container port, ranks second overall in the report’s rankings. The port benefits from one of the world’s strongest manufacturing hinterlands and highly automated terminal operations, allowing it to handle enormous volumes while maintaining reliable service levels. Advanced smart‑yard systems, automated cranes, and integrated planning tools support Shanghai’s ability to process traffic efficiently and maintain schedule integrity across dense intra‑Asian and global networks.

“Shanghai’s strength lies in its ability to match scale with consistently efficient operations,” says Osman. “Its close integration with industry and ongoing investment in automation keep it firmly at the top of the global rankings.”

Sustainability initiatives, including comprehensive shore-power capability, LNG and methanol bunkering, and green shipping corridors with Los Angeles and Hamburg, further highlight Shanghai’s environmental and operational impact.

Rotterdam leads Europe’s green transition

Beyond Singapore and Shanghai, several other ports also perform strongly in the Leading Container Ports of the World 2025 report. Ningbo-Zhoushan continues to rise as a major global export hub, supported by rapid infrastructure expansion and strong intra-Asian connectivity, while Busan maintains its position through consistent reliability and operational efficiency. Among Western ports on the other hand, Rotterdam stands out most clearly.

Rotterdam ranks highly across all five pillars, distinguished by its digital maturity and forward-looking approach to the green transition. The port is a frontrunner in alternative-fuel bunkering, catering to LNG and biofuels, as well as emerging methanol and ammonia pathways, and is rapidly expanding shore-power coverage across key terminals, supported by a relatively green electricity grid. Its leadership is further reinforced by dedicated CO₂ offloading and transport facilities developed through the Porthos carbon capture network.

“Rotterdam is creating one of the most advanced ecosystems for the fuels and energy systems of the future,” says Osman. “Its long-term vision, strong governance, and early investment in sustainability make it a benchmark for ports worldwide.”

Reinforcing long-term port competitiveness

The Leading Container Ports of the World 2025 report underlines the importance of reinforcing long-term competitiveness through the ability to integrate strategy, digitalization, connectivity, and sustainability into a unified vision. Ports that plan early, invest consistently, and coordinate across government, industry, and energy partners are already pulling ahead.

DNV’s Maritime Advisory team is actively supporting this transition, working with port authorities, governmental entities, terminal operators, and investors worldwide to develop long-term strategies, assess digital readiness, plan for alternative-fuel supply chains, and design resilient infrastructure for a lower-carbon future. Leveraging its research and publications such as Energy Transition Outlook and Maritime Forecast to 2050, databases such as the Alternative Fuels Insights and AIS Master Model, and deep technical expertise, DNV helps ports translate ambition into practical, phased investment pathways.

As global trade patterns shift and decarbonization accelerates, the ports that combine strong governance with advanced technology and climate-ready infrastructure will define the next era of maritime logistics.