Busiest Ports in China: Comprehensive Shipping Outlook

Before the cold seasons, upcoming holidays, and a booming logistics market, this last month is the best time to plan your transportation with the best routes. This article is intended to give a quick but detailed and useful overview of important figures for the most famous ports in China. Today, we will focus on the ports of Qingdao, Ningbo, and Shanghai. Major shipping destinations of which these three Chinese ports are part include the following: the Chinese coast, Singapore, southern India, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean, Central Europe, and the North Sea. Other Chinese ports will be mentioned as well to provide you with wider logistics options and more alternative solutions for shipping quotations.


How to ship to Shanghai? The port’s characteristics and practical insights



Shanghai port


The Port of Shanghai is ranked first among the world's largest ports in terms of containerized cargo traffic. The annual cargo tonnage is about 43.3 million TEU. The city of Shanghai itself is the "port metropolis" of the world. 

The Yangshan Deep Water Port, the Huangpu River, and the Yangtze River are the working components of the Port of Shanghai, which helps to expand and optimize cargo transportation for freight forwarders from all over the world. 

For container or intermodal transportation, shippers, and carriers also choose the Port of Shanghai because of its direct access to the east coast of the East China Sea and the southern part of Hangzhou Bay.


Container shipping from and to Shanghai: How much does it cost?


Freight rates for shipping from Shanghai

These are some examples of the most affordable 20-foot FCL container shipping costs from Shanghai to different regions of the world.


Shanghai - Dallas
From $2700Check rates
Shanghai - Nhava Sheva
From $600
Check rates
Shanghai - Djibouti
From $1400
Check rates
Shanghai - Jebel Ali
From $980
Check rates
Shanghai - Lisboa
From $1200
Check rates
Shanghai - Santos
From $1300
Check rates


*Actual freight rates are valid until October 31, 2023.


Freight rates for shipping to Shanghai

These are some examples of the most affordable 20-foot FCL container shipping costs from different regions of the world to Shanghai.


Los Angeles - ShanghaiFrom $40Check rates
Nhava Sheva - Shanghai
From $50Check rates
Cape Town - Shanghai
From $490
Check rates
Jebel Ali - Shanghai
From $50
Check rates
Antwerpen - Shanghai
From $20
Check rates
Buenos Aires - Shanghai
From $690
Check rates


*Actual freight rates are valid until October 31, 2023.

How to ship to Qingdao? The port’s characteristics and practical insights



Qingdao terminal


Let's go through the key facts about the port of Qingdao to better understand the scope of its operation. The Qingdao Port is a renowned port for international shipping and is also a transshipment point for handling reefer containers. Recent figures for annual cargo tonnage handled recorded 25.77 million TEU. The port has a strategically advantageous location, namely in the Huanghe River basin (Shandong Province, eastern China). 

Also, the port is located 40 km from the city of Qingdao and has convenient railroad connections for drayage services in intermodal transportation, among other things. 

Combined, these high-profile characteristics and innovative infrastructure (including a fully automated terminal) have made the port a well-known and preferred choice for planning shipments between the mainland and around the world for even the most demanding shippers and carriers.


Container shipping from and to Qingdao: How much does it cost? 


Freight rates for shipping from Qingdao 

These are some examples of the most affordable 20-foot FCL container shipping costs from Qingdao to different regions of the world.


Qingdao – Pusan
From $50Check rates
Qingdao – Port Said
From $1400
Check rates
Qingdao – Long Beach
From $1000
Check rates
Qingdao – Djibouti
From $1700
Check rates
Qingdao – Tallinn
From $940
Check rates
Qingdao – Rio De Janeiro
From $1500
Check rates


*Actual freight rates are valid until October 31, 2023.


Freight rates for shipping to Qingdao 

These are some examples of the most affordable 20-foot FCL container shipping costs from different regions of the world to Qingdao.


Nhava Sheva - Qingdao
From $26Check rates
Port Said - Qingdao
From $200Check rates
Vancouver - Qingdao
From $800Check rates
Valencia - Qingdao
From $300Check rates
Cape Town - Qingdao
From $690Check rates


*Actual freight rates are valid until October 31, 2023.


How to ship to Ningbo? The port’s characteristics and practical insights



Ningbo-Zhoushan port


The port of Ningbo, also known as Ningbo Zhoushan, is popular for its record-breaking cargo handling and tonnage, with a top tonnage record of 888.96 million tons of cargo being registered in 2015. Recently, annual volume data indicated more than 16.83 million TEU.  

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has a developed infrastructure with 191 berths, including 39 deep-water berths, and branches into 3 ports: Beilong Seaport, Zhenghai Estuary Port, and Ningbo Inland River Port.

The strategic location of the port at the end of Hangzhou Bay (Zhejiang Province, East China Sea coast) in the cities of Ningbo and Zhoushan allows access to the Yangtze River, the waterway to inland China. The port particularly appeals to carriers from Oceania, South, and North America.


Container shipping from and to Ningbo: How much does it cost?


Freight rates for shipping from Ningbo

These are some examples of the most affordable 20-foot FCL container shipping costs from Ningbo to different regions of the world.


Ningbo - Nhava Sheva
From $600Check rates
Ningbo - Port Said
From $1200
Check rates
Ningbo - Edmonton
From $1900
Check rates
Ningbo - Cape Town
From $1100
Check rates
Ningbo - Bremerhaven
From $1200
Check rates
Ningbo - El Guamache
From $5400
Check rates


*Actual freight rates are valid until October 31, 2023.


Freight rates for shipping to Ningbo

These are some examples of the most affordable 20-foot FCL container shipping costs from different regions of the world to Ningbo.


Long Beach - Ningbo
From $40Check rates
Hazira - Ningbo
From $50
Check rates
Cape Town - Ningbo
From $400
Check rates
Jebel Ali - Ningbo
From $50
Check rates
Rotterdam - Ningbo
From $90
Check rates
Paranagua - Ningbo
From $370
Check rates


*Actual freight rates are valid until October 31, 2023.


In the Logistics Explorer tool, you can also fill out a Quick Requests form to quickly request transportation to any destination. Our Customer Support team will get in touch with you to clarify all the details, consult on logistics services, and carry out your supplies safely and cost-effectively.


A complete list of ports in China

Shipping to countries that represent global economies, such as China, which has a rich port infrastructure, often focuses on the largest and most well-known sea and river ports we have discussed above. However, we should not forget about the large number of container terminals, dry ports, port hubs, etc. that are vibrantly operating in China and handling high shares of the world's tonnage.  All Chinese ports can be divided into sectors by bays and seas:


  • Bohaiwan Bay
  • Yellow Sea
  • East China Sea
  • Yangtze River
  • Taiwan Strait
  • Zhujiang Delta
  • South China Sea




For a complete list of Chinese ports, their exact location on the world map, and essential details for use in supply chain planning, please visit the World Sea Ports app.




In Conclusion

Our team is dedicated to assisting you in planning and executing your shipments on time and providing you with quality logistics services. Check out SeaRates' IT tools for shipping and logistics solutions for more comprehensive additional logistics data. You can always request a quote for shipping, and our team will provide you with the best options according to your requirements.

Contact us at [email protected] to meet your business's logistics needs.

Sophia Shkuro is a content manager from Dnipro, Ukraine. Believes that the more complex a thing is, the easier it should be to write about it. Dreams of a future vacation by the sea.

ที่แนะนำโพสต์