Chinese Port Container Volumes Rises up to 6.9% in H1

Cargo throughput and container volumes saw steady growth in H1 against a backdrop of Trump’s tariffs and an unstable trading environment.

According to the data released by China’s Ministry of Transport for the period January to June 2025 China’s ports handled a total cargo throughput of 8.9 billion tons, a year-on-year increase of 4%.

Domestic trade throughput rose by 5.0% year-on-year, while foreign trade throughput increased by 1.8%. Container throughput reached 170 million teu, up 6.9% compared to the same period last year.

In the first six months, the top ten ports by container throughput were Shanghai Port, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, Shenzhen Port, Qingdao Port, Guangzhou Port, Tianjin Port, Xiamen Port, Suzhou Port, Beibu Gulf Port, and Rizhao Port.

Improved volumes came against a backdrop of sharp changes in US import tariffs by President Donald Trump which a one point reached 145%.

The US tariff adjustments in the first half led to a decline of China-US cargo volume, however, the demands from ASEAN and the EU remained robust trend, which effectively offset the shortfall in US-bound shipments.

In terms of cargo throughput in the first half, the top 10 ports were Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, Tangshan Port, Shanghai Port, Qingdao Port, Guangzhou Port, Rizhao Port, Suzhou Port, Tianjin Port, Yantai Port, and Beibu Gulf Port.

Chinese port container volumes rose by up to 6.9% in the first half of the year, reflecting steady growth in sea freight activity. This increase underscores the resilience of China’s trade flows despite global economic uncertainties.

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