Three Vietnamese seaports maintain their standing in global rankings
08/09/2026
Vietnamese ports maintain their positions as Hai Phong moves up the rankings
UK-based maritime publication Lloyd’s List has officially released its 2026 ranking of the world’s Top 100 container ports by throughput. The ranking is based primarily on container throughput volumes and the growth rates recorded by the world’s leading ports.
Notably, this year’s ranking includes three representatives from Vietnam: Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City and Cai Mep.
Ho Chi Minh City maintained its 22nd position, with container throughput exceeding 8.9 million TEU in 2025, up 14.5% compared with 2024. According to Lloyd’s List, strong growth in import-export activity, together with the continued diversification of supply chains, helped Ho Chi Minh City’s port system sustain its growth momentum throughout 2025.
Compared with the 2025 ranking, Hai Phong climbed three places to 26th. During the year, the commissioning of four additional berths at the Lach Huyen deep-water port increased Hai Phong’s handling capacity, enabling its container throughput to exceed 8.2 million TEU in 2025, more than 16% higher than in 2024. Hai Phong is also regarded as one of Asia’s fastest-growing container gateway ports.
With container throughput exceeding 7.6 million TEU in 2025, up 7.4% year on year, the Cai Mep port cluster ranked 31st. Vietnam’s major deep-water port cluster continued its strong performance and is moving ahead with further expansion plans.
According to Lloyd’s List, the world’s leading container ports performed better than expected in 2025, as geopolitical tensions, tariff uncertainty and slower economic growth failed to significantly disrupt global trade.
The ports included in Lloyd’s List’s Top 100 handled a combined 792.2 million TEU, representing an increase of 6.3% from the previous year. Asia further strengthened its dominant position, accounting for nearly 68% of total container throughput in the ranking. China remained at the centre of global container flows, while Southeast Asia increasingly reflected the structural transformation of global trade, driven by the growth of ports in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
International experts have attributed this growth momentum to a combination of manufacturing investment, supply-chain diversification and expanding intra-Asian trade.
Reaffirming the role of Vietnam’s seaport system
Vietnam’s three major port areas also continued to stand out by appearing among the world’s Top 30 busiest container ports in the first half of 2026, according to Alphaliner, a global maritime data and analytics platform. Ho Chi Minh City ranked 19th, moving up one place from the previous year, while Hai Phong ranked 25th and Cai Mep 29th.
Notably, despite being included in Alphaliner’s ranking, throughput figures for Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong for the first half of 2026 were not yet available. The Cai Mep port cluster alone handled approximately 3.9 million TEU during the first six months of 2026, an increase of 9.2% year on year.
The strong progress of Vietnam’s major port clusters and their continued presence in prestigious international rankings not only affirm the growing capabilities of Vietnam’s seaport system, but also highlight the country’s increasingly important role as a key link in the global logistics network.
However, according to a maritime expert, Vietnam’s port sector continues to face a number of challenges if it is to sustain its growth momentum and move further up international rankings.
In particular, hinterland transport infrastructure connecting ports with their surrounding markets — including road, rail and inland waterway networks — has yet to keep pace with the rapid development of the seaport system and broader economic growth requirements in some regions.
At the same time, growing pressure to “green” the port sector and comply with increasingly stringent carbon-emission reduction standards will require port operators to accelerate investment in technology, digital transformation and clean energy in the years ahead.
UK-based maritime publication Lloyd’s List has officially released its 2026 ranking of the world’s Top 100 container ports by throughput. The ranking is based primarily on container throughput volumes and the growth rates recorded by the world’s leading ports.
Lloyd’s List has officially released its 2026 ranking of the world’s Top 100 container ports by throughput.
Notably, this year’s ranking includes three representatives from Vietnam: Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City and Cai Mep.
Ho Chi Minh City maintained its 22nd position, with container throughput exceeding 8.9 million TEU in 2025, up 14.5% compared with 2024. According to Lloyd’s List, strong growth in import-export activity, together with the continued diversification of supply chains, helped Ho Chi Minh City’s port system sustain its growth momentum throughout 2025.
Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong City ranked 22nd and 26th, respectively, in this year’s Lloyd’s List ranking. (Screenshot)
Compared with the 2025 ranking, Hai Phong climbed three places to 26th. During the year, the commissioning of four additional berths at the Lach Huyen deep-water port increased Hai Phong’s handling capacity, enabling its container throughput to exceed 8.2 million TEU in 2025, more than 16% higher than in 2024. Hai Phong is also regarded as one of Asia’s fastest-growing container gateway ports.
Vietnam’s Cai Mep port cluster ranked 31st in the Lloyd’s List 2026 ranking.
With container throughput exceeding 7.6 million TEU in 2025, up 7.4% year on year, the Cai Mep port cluster ranked 31st. Vietnam’s major deep-water port cluster continued its strong performance and is moving ahead with further expansion plans.
According to Lloyd’s List, the world’s leading container ports performed better than expected in 2025, as geopolitical tensions, tariff uncertainty and slower economic growth failed to significantly disrupt global trade.
The ports included in Lloyd’s List’s Top 100 handled a combined 792.2 million TEU, representing an increase of 6.3% from the previous year. Asia further strengthened its dominant position, accounting for nearly 68% of total container throughput in the ranking. China remained at the centre of global container flows, while Southeast Asia increasingly reflected the structural transformation of global trade, driven by the growth of ports in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
International experts have attributed this growth momentum to a combination of manufacturing investment, supply-chain diversification and expanding intra-Asian trade.
Reaffirming the role of Vietnam’s seaport system
Vietnam’s three major port areas also continued to stand out by appearing among the world’s Top 30 busiest container ports in the first half of 2026, according to Alphaliner, a global maritime data and analytics platform. Ho Chi Minh City ranked 19th, moving up one place from the previous year, while Hai Phong ranked 25th and Cai Mep 29th.
Notably, despite being included in Alphaliner’s ranking, throughput figures for Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong for the first half of 2026 were not yet available. The Cai Mep port cluster alone handled approximately 3.9 million TEU during the first six months of 2026, an increase of 9.2% year on year.
The strong progress of Vietnam’s major port clusters and their continued presence in prestigious international rankings not only affirm the growing capabilities of Vietnam’s seaport system, but also highlight the country’s increasingly important role as a key link in the global logistics network.
However, according to a maritime expert, Vietnam’s port sector continues to face a number of challenges if it is to sustain its growth momentum and move further up international rankings.
In particular, hinterland transport infrastructure connecting ports with their surrounding markets — including road, rail and inland waterway networks — has yet to keep pace with the rapid development of the seaport system and broader economic growth requirements in some regions.
At the same time, growing pressure to “green” the port sector and comply with increasingly stringent carbon-emission reduction standards will require port operators to accelerate investment in technology, digital transformation and clean energy in the years ahead.
(Source: VTV.vn)
