China’s ports handled a combined 16.75 billion tonnes of cargo between January and November 2025, marking a 4.4% year-on-year increase, according to data released by the Ministry of Transport.
Foreign trade cargo throughput reached 5.16 billion tonnes during the same period, up 4.1% compared with the previous year, reflecting continued resilience in China’s external trade flows despite uneven global demand.
Container throughput across Chinese ports totalled 324.73 million TEUs, representing a 6.6% year-on-year increase, highlighting sustained growth in containerised trade and logistics activity.
The figures cover all coastal and inland ports nationwide and reflect cumulative volumes for the first eleven months of 2025. The data confirms that container traffic continues to outpace overall cargo growth, supported by stable export volumes and improving import demand.
The Ministry of Transport data also shows that foreign trade cargo growth remained broadly aligned with total port cargo expansion, underscoring the role of ports in supporting China’s trade and industrial supply chains during the period.
China’s port system remains the world’s largest by volume, with continued investment in terminal capacity, inland connectivity, and digital port operations supporting throughput growth across both coastal and inland waterways.
