Revenues declined in 2023 amid an international trade slump, geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainty.
E-commerce growth and constraints on ocean shipping have fueled strong demand for airfreight this year.
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 2023 | TEUs 2022 | % Change | Freight Tonnage (metric tons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port of Los Angeles | Los Angeles | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 8,629,681 | 9,911,159 | -12.9% | 178,000,000* |
| 2 | Port of Long Beach | Long Beach, Calif. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 8,018,668 | 9,133,657 | -12.2% | 175,518,642 |
| 3 | Port of New York and New Jersey | New York | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 7,810,005 | 9,493,664 | -17.7% | NA |
| 4 | Port of Savannah | Savannah, Ga. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, automotive, heavy lift, refrigerated | 4,927,654 | 5,892,131 | -16.4% | 34,739,800 |
| 5 | Colon Container Terminal, Port of Cristobal and Manzanillo International Terminal | Colón, Panama | container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, project | 4,868,759 | 5,058,556 | -3.8% | NA |
| 6 | Port Houston | Houston | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project | 3,824,600 | 3,974,901 | -3.8% | 45,652,497 |
| 7 | Port of Manzanillo | Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico | container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, refrigerated | 3,698,582 | 3,473,852 | 6.5% | 33,828,606 |
| 8 | Port of Balboa and PSA Panama International Terminal | Panama Int'l Terminals, Panama | container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, project | 3,370,009 | 3,347,861 | 0.7% | NA |
| 9 | Port of Virginia | Norfolk, Va. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive | 3,287,546 | 3,703,230 | -11.2% | 59,089,478 |
| 10 | Port of Vancouver | Vancouver, British Columbia | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, project | 3,126,559 | 3,557,294 | -12.1% | 150,380,603 |
| 11 | Northwest Seaport Alliance | Seattle and Tacoma, Wash. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project | 2,974,416 | 3,384,018 | -12.1% | 23,804,032 |
| 12 | Port of Charleston | Charleston, S.C. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, project, refrigerated | 2,482,080 | 2,792,313 | -11.1% | NA |
| 13 | Port of Oakland | Oakland, Calif. | container, refrigerated | 2,065,709 | 2,337,607 | -11.6% | NA |
| 14 | Port of Kingston | Kingston, Jamaica | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift | 1,995,000 | 2,137,500 | -6.7% | NA |
| 15 | Port of Lázaro Cárdenas | Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico | container, dry bulk, liquid bulk | 1,869,293 | 2,026,546 | -7.8% | 29,585,287 |
| 16 | Port of Montreal | Montreal | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, refrigerated | 1,538,464 | 1,722,704 | -10.7% | 35,346,163 |
| 17 | Port of Caucedo | Caucedo, Dominican Republic | container, break bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 1,488,000 | 1,406,500 | 5.8% | NA |
| 18 | Port of San Juan | San Juan, Puerto Rico | container, break bulk, dry bulk | 1,349,400 | 1,398,600 | -3.5% | NA |
| 19 | Port of Jacksonville^ | Jacksonville, Fla. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 1,313,487 | 1,298,132 | 1.2% | 10,470,025 |
| 20 | Moín Container Terminal | Límon, Costa Rica | container, break bulk | 1,261,262 | 1,226,585 | 2.8% | NA |
| 21 | Port of Freeport | Freeport, Bahamas | container, break bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project | 1,215,000e | 1,574,200 | -22.8% | NA |
| 22 | Port of Veracruz | Veracruz, Mexico | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive | 1,148,000 | 1,187,000 | -3.3% | NA |
| 23 | Port of Baltimore | Baltimore | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, refrigerated | 1,126,511 | 1,069,421 | 5.3% | 10,617,657 |
| 24 | Port Miami^ | Miami | container, break bulk, automotive | 1,098,322 | 1,197,663 | -8.3% | 9,717,000 |
| 25 | Port Everglades^ | Broward County, Fla. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, refrigerated | 1,006,981 | 1,107,546 | -9.1% | NA |
| NOTE: Data for the Colon Container Terminal, Port of Cristobal and Manzanillo International Terminal is from the Georgia Tech Panama Logistics Innovation and Research Center. Data for the ports of Kingston, Caucedo, San Juan, Freeport and Veracruz is via PortEconomics. Data for the ports of Lázaro Cárdenas and Manzanillo is via the Coordinación General de Puertos y Marina Mercante. All other data is via port authorities. * Freight tonnage for the Port of Los Angeles is for fiscal year 2022-23, ended June 30, 2023. ^ Data for the Port of Jacksonville, Port Miami and Port Everglades is for fiscal year 2022-23, ended Sept. 30, 2023. |
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Post-COVID normalization and shaky economic conditions led to a difficult year at container ports and airports in 2023.
Learn more about Transport Topics’ Top 50 Global Freight Companies publication.
Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd to Operate Some Ships as Joint Fleet
Global shipping giants Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk have struck a partnership deal to operate some of their ships as a joint fleet in the future, the companies announced Jan. 17.
January 17, 2024Shipping CEOs See No Short-Term End to Red Sea Disruptions
The CEOs of two leading freight carriers said they expect Red Sea threats to disrupt shipping for weeks or months longer.
January 17, 2024How the Red Sea Conflict Is Crimping Global Trade
The attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels have rerouted most of the trade normally flowing through the crucial maritime artery for consumer goods and energy supplies.
January 12, 2024US Trucking Faces Downstream Effects From Suez Canal Attacks
A militant group that is attacking container vessels along the Suez Canal in Egypt is causing shipment disruptions that threaten to inflict downstream effects on the U.S. trucking sector.
January 9, 2024Shipping Shows Signs of Panic as Houthis Menace Trade Lane
Container shipping is set to face a crunch ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday as Houthi attacks in the Red Sea restrict capacity, a major industry consultant said.
January 8, 2024Maersk Extends Red Sea Diversion and Warns Risk Will Persist
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S plans to continue diverting ships away from the Red Sea “for the foreseeable future” after pausing transits earlier this week to assess the situation.
January 5, 2024Amazon Captured 29% of Online Orders Before Christmas
Amazon's share of online orders spiked in the final days of the holiday season, showing how big investments in delivery speed paid off as shoppers sought out products they could get quickly.
January 5, 2024Spot Container Shipping Rates Soar 173% on Red Sea Threats
Short-term rates for container shipping between Asia, Europe and the U.S. are climbing on reduced capacity caused by the threats to cargo vessels in the Red Sea.
January 4, 2024Daimler Partners With Amazon for Fuel Cell Truck Trials
Daimler Truck plans to begin the first on-road customer tests of hydrogen fuel cell-powered Mercedes-Benz GenH2 trucks in global markets in the middle of 2024.
December 20, 2023Red Sea Chaos Has Shippers Bracing for Weeks Without Route
The global shipping industry is bracing for the prospect of living without its most important trade route for weeks.
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