Container numbers break through teu milestone

With U-Freight’s strong presence in the global container shipping arena, we note that ocean freight data at the end of 2025 crossed a projection threshold, exceeding a billion 20-foot containers moved.

News outlets are reporting that Sea intelligence platform Linerlytica says that about 400 million of teu throughput was recorded by ports in China and Hong Kong.

This milestone reflects overall resilience in global trade flows, even amid broad economic headwinds, geopolitical tensions and tariff uncertainties, Container News says.

Ports such as Shanghai, Ningbo and Shenzhen handled the majority of container throughput globally, while Hong Kong remains a significant transshipment hub.

Official China port data confirms container throughput rising in 2025, further supporting the notion that Asia remains the principal driver of global volumes.

In tandem with sustained demand, the combined global container fleet is projected to continue expanding, reflecting confidence in responsive dynamics such as the Cape of Good Hope rerouting away from the much shorter east-west trade passage through the Suez Canal.

Although slow-steaming was at times an issue last year, especially in reaction to plunging freight rates, the consultancy said the lack of general idleness indicated positive capacity uptake.

Ocean analytics consultancy Xeneta has also reported less robust volume growth at certain points in 2025, with snapshots showing month-to-month declines or flat activity before rising again later in the year.

Moreover, broader Xeneta market outlooks highlight shippers navigating fluctuations in demand, geopolitical pressures and capacity growth, which may moderate long-term volume expansion.

For more information about our ocean freight forwarding and logistics services, please visit the relevant pages of this website, or contact your local office, which can be seen here: https://ufreight.com/locations