The latest “Global Container Terminal Operators Annual Review and Forecast” from Drewry shows that The major terminal operators have increased their container throughput in 2024 and further expanded their market position.
Global container throughput increased by 7.2% to 928 million TEU in 2024. Global Terminal Operators (GTOs) even grew slightly above market level at 7.7% and increased their share of the global market from 48.9% to 49.2%. PSA International maintained its position at the top with an equity-adjusted volume of 67.2 million TEU and an increase of 7.3%. This is according to the latest “Global Container Terminal Operators Annual Review and Forecast” by Drewry , in which 19 companies are listed as GTOs. MOL, NYK and Yang Ming have dropped out of the ranking, while ONE is represented for the first time.
“Hybrid operators” are gaining in importance
As the analysis shows, hybrid operators such as MSC with TiL and AGL, CMA CGM with CMA Terminals and Terminal Link and Hapag-Lloyd with Hanseatic Global Terminals are becoming increasingly important. They benefit from the fact that they can guarantee volumes thanks to the direct shipping company connection and are primarily realizing their growth through acquisitions. MSC has increased its equity-adjusted volume by 14.1 million TEU, or 47%, since 2019. CMA CGM by 4.6 million TEU or 55%. China Merchants Port Group recorded the largest absolute growth with an increase of 19.7 million TEU and growth of 48%, although this was primarily due to an increase in shareholdings in Chinese port operators.
Strongest increase in capacity expected since the financial crisis
For 2025, Drewry is forecasting global capacity growth of 4.8% or 64 million TEU, the largest absolute increase since the global financial crisis. According to the information provided, the drivers are the post-Covid investment wave, the continuing expansion of container ship fleets and the ongoing digitalization of terminal processes.
A total of 14 GTOs currently have so-called greenfield projects in the pipeline. The companies CMA CGM, Adani, MSC and AD Ports are particularly active in this regard, each of which plans to build more than 3 million TEU of additional greenfield capacity by 2029. While the focus of such projects is on emerging markets such as Vietnam, Egypt, India and Morocco, investments in more mature markets are concentrated on the expansion of existing terminals and technical modernization.
