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.
German Government Settles Internal Dispute Over Port Stake Sale to China
The German government is close to reaching a compromise over a disputed sale of a stake in a Hamburg container terminal to China’s state-owned shipping conglomerate Cosco Shipping Holdings Co.
October 25, 2022Alabama Port Study Highlights Growth, Economic Impact
The Alabama State Port Authority has released a new study showing significant growth in jobs, tax revenue and general economic impact since 2019, underscoring the port’s place as a major economic driver in the state.
October 24, 2022CSX Q3 Profit Up 15% as Railroad Hauls 2% More Freight
CSX Corp. delivered 15% more profit in the third quarter as it handled 2% more freight and worked to eliminate the delays shippers have been complaining about for months.
October 21, 2022UPS Aircraft Mechanics Ratify Labor Contract
Aircraft mechanics at UPS Inc. voted to ratify a labor contract extension that will give them a 3.3% hike in pay annually for three years, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union announced Oct. 18.
October 19, 2022California Ports Reveal Surge in Harmful Emissions in 2021
California port officials announced an unprecedented increase in harmful emissions last year. Although the increase in pollution was substantial, officials said emissions are still much lower than levels in the mid-2000s.
October 18, 2022Truckers Win Over BNSF in Case Regarding Illinois Biometrics Law
In what is believed to be the first jury verdict related to Illinois’ strict biometrics privacy law, a $228 million judgment has been entered against BNSF Railway in a class-action lawsuit over the railroad’s collection of fingerprint data.
October 17, 2022Maersk Expands Green Fleet With $1 Billion Order for Vessels
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, one of the world’s largest oil consumers, ordered six large containerships that can sail on green methanol as part of the transport giant’s plan to become carbon neutral.
October 5, 2022MSC Launches Air Cargo Business
Mediterranean Shipping Co., the world’s largest container line, will expand into air cargo using four leased Boeing Co. wide-body freighters after missing out in a bid for Italy’s flag-carrier airline.
September 27, 2022Shipping Container Lines Set to Smash Year-Old Profit Record
The world’s biggest container lines are on course to post profits in 2022 that will top last year’s record by 73%, according to a new forecast, buoyed by logistics and labor strains that are squeezing capacity amid sustained U.S. demand for imports.
August 9, 2022HMM to Continue Deploying More Ships as Port Congestion Persists
HMM Co., the biggest container-shipping line in South Korea, will continue deploying more vessels than usual to try to meet demand from the country’s exporters struggling to transport goods overseas.
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