Ningbo-Zhoushan Port hits record throughput

Zhenhai port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. [Photo/Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Group for Yongpai app]

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has cemented its position as a global shipping powerhouse, achieving record cargo and container throughput in 2025 and further strengthening China's strategic logistics capacity.

In 2025, the port handled over 1.4 billion metric tons of cargo, marking the 17th consecutive year it has ranked as the world's busiest port by cargo volume. It is also the only port group globally to surpass the 1-billion-ton milestone. Container throughput exceeded 43 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), maintaining its position as the world's third-largest container port.

Infrastructure upgrades have been central to this growth. Two major container terminals with a capacity of over 10 million TEUs, together with a dual 400,000-ton ore transshipment terminal, operated at full capacity, while the 300,000-ton Tiaozhoumen channel expansion increased ultra-large vessel access by over 50 percent, allowing 200,000-ton container ships to navigate around the clock.

Connectivity continues to expand. The port now serves over 700 ports in more than 200 countries via 309 container routes, while over 110 rail-sea intermodal lines link 69 cities across 16 provinces. Innovative logistics offerings include the regular China-Europe express line, which has shortened transit times by over 10 days, and the world's first China-Europe Arctic container route, launched from Ningbo.

Smart and green initiatives are transforming operations. The DeepSeek AI system manages automated gates, and renewable fuels such as green methanol and LNG have been scaled up. These developments have strengthened the port's capacity, efficiency, and global influence, ranking it among the top 10 international shipping hubs worldwide.