China's Yangshan Deep-Water Port was the best port performer in the third edition of the global Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), developed by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Despite disruptions and challenges caused by typhoons and various other factors in 2022, the Chinese box port achieved the greatest year-over-year improvement in performance of the top ports in the CPPI, according to Turloch Mooney, director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Mooney said, "Yangshan managed to reduce ship waiting time by a sizeable three hours per call in 2022 compared with 2021, and berth hours also improved over most call size ranges despite the challenging operating conditions in the first half of the year. Yangshan continues to build for the future with ongoing heavy investment in automation and rail connectivity."
Looking beyond Yangshan Port, Middle East and North Africa ports performed well again this year, with three ports from the region finishing in the top five sports. Port of Salalah in Oman ranked second, Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi took the third spot and Tanger Med in Morocco ranked fourth.
Additionally, ports in Latin America showed improved performance over 2022 with the port of Cartagena in Colombia being in fifth place overall and Ecuador's Port of Posorja ranking 19th.
In Southeast Asia, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia climbed to sixth place this year, with Vietnam's Cai Mep taking the 12th spot and the port of Singapore the 18th one.
Moreover, in 16th place, we find the Spanish port of Algeciras, which is the highest-ranked port in Europe.
North American ports are lower in the ranking. We see the top-ranked ports in the region, the port of Wilmington in North Carolina at the 44th spot and the port of Virginia at the 52nd spot.
Furthermore, the Port of Berbera, which ranked 144th, was the highest-ranking port in Sub-Saharan Africa with many ports in the region continuing to experience excessive vessel turnaround time, a persistent risk for supply chain disruption.
"Improving port efficiency is essential for unlocking Africa's growth and development," pointed out Martin Humphreys, Lead Transport Economist at the World Bank. "Africa's ports are vital gateways for trade and commerce. Their efficient operation is a key determinant in whether Africa achieves its economic potential."
