Port Productivity : 2023 Rankings

Special Report

the release of the 2023 CPPI report . “ This increases the cost of imports and exports , reduces competitiveness and hinders economic growth and poverty reduction .”

“ The negative effect of poor performance in a port can ... disrupt entire schedules .”

The CPPI ’ s fourth edition highlights the continued dominance of ports serving Asia ’ s export-driven economies . East and Southeast Asian ports made up 13 of the top 20 ports .

In that group , China still dominates , with Yangshan occupying the No . 1 spot in the CPPI for the second year in a row and six other Chinese ports among the Top 20 .

Among top ports , Abu Dhabi ’ s Port of Khalifa dropped the most , going from No . 3 in 2022 to No . 29 in 2023 . Other

Middle Eastern ports , such as those in Saudi Arabia and Qatar , also fell in the rankings . Colombia ’ s Cartagena took over Khalifa ’ s former rank , while Oman ’ s Salalah port remained in the No . 2 slot last year .

Thanks to the rise of the country ’ s export-oriented manufacturers looking to supply Western customers , India ’ s Port of Visakhapatnam was ranked No . 20 last year , the first time a port in that country cracked the top tier and a big move up from No . 115 in 2022 . India ’ s Mundra port also moved up the rankings , coming in at No . 27 after its previous No . 48 position in 2022 .

The CPPI also shook up its rankings of North American ports . Last year saw Charleston emerge as the top US port by ranking , coming in at No . 53 compared to a previous ranking of No . 340 . Philadelphia also made a big move higher , going from No . 98 in 2022 to No . 55 last year .

The rankings were further jolted by the addition of 57 new ports to the 2023 CPPI , including Muuga Harbor in Estonia and Oman ’ s Port of Al Duqm .

email : michael . angell @ spglobal . com

Seattle-Tacoma seeking more direct vessel-to-rail container moves

LA – LB handled 48.2 % of US imports from Asia in April , while NWSA ( pictured ) handled 6.5 %. NWSA

By Bill Mongelluzzo

About 300 containers carrying fireworks were unloaded from a vessel and moved out of the Port of Seattle on a train in just 24 hours during a one-off move in late May , highlighting the potential for block stowing containers on vessels in Asia so the boxes can be moved seamlessly to on-dock rail to inland destinations .

The handling of these “ hot loads ” at Terminal 18 in Seattle was a unique situation in that the fireworks were shipped to the port on a small , chartered vessel . Terminal operator SSA Marine was instructed by the local fire marshal that the containers had to be moved off the terminal within 24 hours of the vessel ’ s arrival .

Although liner vessels that call Seattle – Tacoma each week carry a larger and more diverse mix of cargo than the chartered ship , Ed DeNike , president of SSA Containers , said he believes the strategy of block stowing inland point intermodal ( IPI ) containers on ships so they can be moved directly to the on-dock rail yards can be successful . The key is to work with carriers , terminal operators , railroads and longshore labor to pre-plan their equipment needs and coordinate operations , he said .

26 Journal of Commerce | June 17 , 2024 www . joc . com