Up Front
Revenues declined in 2023 amid an international trade slump, geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainty.
E-commerce growth and constraints on ocean shipping have fueled strong demand for airfreight this year.
Get a continent-by-continent and country- by-country look at where the Top 50 Global Freight Companies are based.
Rankings
Port Data
| Rank | Port Name | City | Type of Freight | TEUs 2023 | TEUs 2022 | % Change | Freight Tonnage (metric tons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port of Los Angeles | Los Angeles | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 8,629,681 | 9,911,159 | -12.9% | 178,000,000* |
| 2 | Port of Long Beach | Long Beach, Calif. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 8,018,668 | 9,133,657 | -12.2% | 175,518,642 |
| 3 | Port of New York and New Jersey | New York | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 7,810,005 | 9,493,664 | -17.7% | NA |
| 4 | Port of Savannah | Savannah, Ga. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, automotive, heavy lift, refrigerated | 4,927,654 | 5,892,131 | -16.4% | 34,739,800 |
| 5 | Colon Container Terminal, Port of Cristobal and Manzanillo International Terminal | Colón, Panama | container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, project | 4,868,759 | 5,058,556 | -3.8% | NA |
| 6 | Port Houston | Houston | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project | 3,824,600 | 3,974,901 | -3.8% | 45,652,497 |
| 7 | Port of Manzanillo | Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico | container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, refrigerated | 3,698,582 | 3,473,852 | 6.5% | 33,828,606 |
| 8 | Port of Balboa and PSA Panama International Terminal | Panama Int'l Terminals, Panama | container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, project | 3,370,009 | 3,347,861 | 0.7% | NA |
| 9 | Port of Virginia | Norfolk, Va. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive | 3,287,546 | 3,703,230 | -11.2% | 59,089,478 |
| 10 | Port of Vancouver | Vancouver, British Columbia | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, project | 3,126,559 | 3,557,294 | -12.1% | 150,380,603 |
| 11 | Northwest Seaport Alliance | Seattle and Tacoma, Wash. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project | 2,974,416 | 3,384,018 | -12.1% | 23,804,032 |
| 12 | Port of Charleston | Charleston, S.C. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, project, refrigerated | 2,482,080 | 2,792,313 | -11.1% | NA |
| 13 | Port of Oakland | Oakland, Calif. | container, refrigerated | 2,065,709 | 2,337,607 | -11.6% | NA |
| 14 | Port of Kingston | Kingston, Jamaica | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift | 1,995,000 | 2,137,500 | -6.7% | NA |
| 15 | Port of Lázaro Cárdenas | Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Mexico | container, dry bulk, liquid bulk | 1,869,293 | 2,026,546 | -7.8% | 29,585,287 |
| 16 | Port of Montreal | Montreal | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, refrigerated | 1,538,464 | 1,722,704 | -10.7% | 35,346,163 |
| 17 | Port of Caucedo | Caucedo, Dominican Republic | container, break bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 1,488,000 | 1,406,500 | 5.8% | NA |
| 18 | Port of San Juan | San Juan, Puerto Rico | container, break bulk, dry bulk | 1,349,400 | 1,398,600 | -3.5% | NA |
| 19 | Port of Jacksonville^ | Jacksonville, Fla. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project, refrigerated | 1,313,487 | 1,298,132 | 1.2% | 10,470,025 |
| 20 | Moín Container Terminal | Límon, Costa Rica | container, break bulk | 1,261,262 | 1,226,585 | 2.8% | NA |
| 21 | Port of Freeport | Freeport, Bahamas | container, break bulk, automotive, heavy lift, project | 1,215,000e | 1,574,200 | -22.8% | NA |
| 22 | Port of Veracruz | Veracruz, Mexico | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive | 1,148,000 | 1,187,000 | -3.3% | NA |
| 23 | Port of Baltimore | Baltimore | container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, automotive, refrigerated | 1,126,511 | 1,069,421 | 5.3% | 10,617,657 |
| 24 | Port Miami^ | Miami | container, break bulk, automotive | 1,098,322 | 1,197,663 | -8.3% | 9,717,000 |
| 25 | Port Everglades^ | Broward County, Fla. | container, break bulk, dry bulk, refrigerated | 1,006,981 | 1,107,546 | -9.1% | NA |
| NOTE: Data for the Colon Container Terminal, Port of Cristobal and Manzanillo International Terminal is from the Georgia Tech Panama Logistics Innovation and Research Center. Data for the ports of Kingston, Caucedo, San Juan, Freeport and Veracruz is via PortEconomics. Data for the ports of Lázaro Cárdenas and Manzanillo is via the Coordinación General de Puertos y Marina Mercante. All other data is via port authorities. * Freight tonnage for the Port of Los Angeles is for fiscal year 2022-23, ended June 30, 2023. ^ Data for the Port of Jacksonville, Port Miami and Port Everglades is for fiscal year 2022-23, ended Sept. 30, 2023. |
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Extras
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Post-COVID normalization and shaky economic conditions led to a difficult year at container ports and airports in 2023.
Learn more about Transport Topics’ Top 50 Global Freight Companies publication.
Global Freight News
US Threatens to Strike Back Against EU Firms for Digital Tax
The Trump administration threatened retaliation against the European Union in response to efforts to tax American tech companies, singling out prominent firms.
December 16, 2025UPS Purchases 400 Robots to Unload Trucks in Automation Push
UPS will invest $120 million in 400 robots used to unload trucks, according to sources, revealing new details on the logistics giant’s $9 billion automation plan that aims to boost profit.
December 15, 2025Maersk Picks New CFO Robert Erni With Logistics Background
Maersk has a strategy to grow in land-based logistics, which has historically had higher and more stable profit margins than container shipping.
December 12, 2025Maersk Opens New Ground Freight Site Near Port of Savannah
Maersk says the Savannah, Ga., facility follows recent ground freight openings in Lake City, Ga., and Dallas-Fort Worth, and creates an ecosystem of integrated services.
December 9, 2025Dow's Transportation Average Blazes 9-Day Winning Streak
Equity traders looking for signs that a blistering stock market advance is set to continue may take their cue from the companies that move goods across America’s roads, rails and waterways.
December 5, 2025Ocean Shipping Rates Surge on Conflicts, Supply Disruptions
Daily earnings to transport crude on key routes have seen the biggest jump this year, up 467%. Freight costs typically dip at year-end due to seasonal weakness in demand.
December 4, 2025South Africa to Prosecute Maersk, CMA Units for Price Fixing
The companies allegedly fixed the general rate increase charged to customers for shipping cargo between South Africa and Asia and between the nation and the western part of Africa from 2008 to 2018.
December 2, 2025Amazon Tests 30-Minute Delivery in Philadelphia, Seattle
Amazon will use “specialized smaller facilities” for the deliveries, the e-commerce giant said Dec. 1 in a statement. The fee will start at $13.99, discounted to $3.99 for Prime members.
December 1, 2025FedEx to Slash 856 Texas Jobs After Customer Moves Business
FedEx plans to cut hundreds of jobs in Texas after a third-party logistics customer opted to move its business to a new location and a different company.
November 26, 2025UPS, FedEx, Others Face Long-Term Effects of MD-11 Grounding
The grounding of the workhorse freighter plane involved in a deadly crash in Kentucky may drag on for an “undeterminable period,” creating havoc for UPS, FedEx and a Florida-based carrier.
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