Athens and Ningbo Zhoushan rise in shipping centre rankings

Athens/Piraeus and Ningbo Zhoushan overtook Hamburg in the 2024 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Develop Index Report to take seventh and eighth place respectively, dropping Hamburg to ninth place.

Hamburg had held the seventh spot since 2018, but Athens/Piraeus secured the position as continued investment in port infrastructure was reflected in higher volumes and profits, while Greek owners increased their hold on the world fleet and service providers adopted Athens as a technology hub.

Ningbo Zhoushan's strength comes from its massive port complex, with 300 container routes connecting to 600 ports in over 200 countries, the report said, noting the port's adaptive and proactive responses to global supply chain disruptions.

The only new entrant in the top 20 ports this year was Tianjin, joining in 19th place between Oslo and Melbourne. Another major Chinese port with global significance, Tianjin’s cargo capacity and throughput continues to increase, while its investment in technology has boosted efficiency and turnaround times.

Compiled by Xinhua’s China Economic Information Service and the Baltic Exchange, the report appraised 43 port cities and maritime centres. Rankings were based on a wide range of categories relevant to the shipping industry, with 20% of the result weighted towards ports, 50% to business services, and 30% to the general environment including government transparency, logistics performance and customs tariffs.

The average score amongst the top 10 ports was 77.12 out of a possible 100, and 69.98 for the top 20, with an average across the entire 43 rankings of 59.13.

Singapore earned first place with a score of 96.23, a position it has maintained throughout the annual report’s 11-year history. Second place London scored 82.50, extending a five-year streak in the silver medal position after losing out to Hong Kong in 2018 and 2019. Hot on London’s heels was Shanghai with a score of 81.84.