Container boom in port terminals. 2025 even better than 2024 [REPORT]
2025 will be even better after a strong 2024, when container supply at ports increased by 7.2% year-on-year to 928 million TEU, according to Drewry in his latest report. This is a result of the continued high level of imports of containerized goods. This trend will continue, according to Di Market analysts. Leading terminal operators have embraced modernization and greenfield projects. Automated and environmentally friendly terminals are being built, utilizing IT and AI systems.
The European container terminal operations market, expected to reach €12.72 billion in 2025, is expected to continue to grow, driven by growing global trade, the development of e-commerce, and the growing demand for efficient logistics solutions. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is forecast to reach 3.7% between 2025 and 2033, according to Di Market in its latest report, “Europe Container Terminal Operations Market Unlocking Growth Potential: 2025-2033 Analysis and Forecasts.”
Experts running the CTS blog note significant growth in container demand after analyzing the results for the third quarter of 2025. They unequivocally state that “We are heading towards a record year.” Revised data for August 2025 now indicates global container growth of 16.8 million TEU. This is the highest monthly volume recorded in the CTS database. This new record surpasses the previous record, set in July 2025, by over 220,000 TEU.
The market for managing terminals, fleets, and container operators is clearly consolidating, with containerized cargo transport, logistics chains, and entire door-to-door logistics operations now under the control of a small group. Drewry’s latest analysis, “Global Container Terminal Operators Annual Review and Forecast,” identified 19 companies operating as global terminal operators. In a short period of time, the global market landscape has changed, as MOL, NYK, and Yang Ming have dropped out of Drewry’s rankings, and the ONE alliance has made its debut, says Eleanor Hadland, author of the report and senior analyst for ports and terminals at Drewry.
Global Container Terminal Operators Ranking in 2024. Source: Drewry’s Global Container Terminal Operators Annual Review and Forecast
Container Leaders
Global port transshipment volumes showed solid growth in 2024, rising 7.2% year-on-year to 928 million TEU. Leading global container terminal operators increased their capacity by an average of 7.7% year-on-year. This increased their global market share from 48.9% in 2023 to 49.2% in 2024. PSA International leads the rankings with a transshipment capacity of 67.2 million TEU, representing a 7.3% year-on-year increase.
PSA International’s annual report states that the operator achieved over 100.2 million TEU container handling through its terminals in 2024. This represents a 5.6% increase compared to 2023. This result was driven by the supply of 40.9 million TEU at the quays of the Port of Singapore (+5.5%). This is PSA’s flagship terminal. PSA terminals outside Singapore achieved a transshipment of 59.2 million TEU (+5.7%).
The pandemic has seen a significant increase in activity among major container ship operators, who are closing supply chains by taking control of terminals or entering into alliances with their operators. CMA CGM recently joined the shareholders of Eurogate CTH. The CMA CGM Group announced the signing of an agreement to acquire a 20% stake in Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH). Currently, the shareholders of Hamburg’s container terminals are: MSC (co-owned by HHLA through the Hamburg Port Authority/HHLA), COSCO in the Tollerort terminal, Hapag-Lloyd, which operates and co-owns part of the port infrastructure, and CMA CGM holds a 20% stake in Eurogate CTH. GospodarkaMorska.pl wrote about this here.
Terminal operators of several leading global carriers – MSC Group (TiL and AGL), CMA CGM (CMA Terminals and Terminal Link), and most recently Hapag-Lloyd (Hanseatic Global Terminals) – have strengthened their position in the rankings. These container fleet operators manage their terminals under the same commercial principles as leading global operators such as PSA International, China Merchants, DP World, and Hutchison Ports. However, organizational integration gives them an operational advantage. This position is often reinforced by the acquisition of container fleets, including refrigerated containers. GospodarkaMorska.pl reported on this here.
Source: CTS
Demand for containers is growing
MSC and CMA CGM have expanded both the scale and geographic reach of their container terminals, making several significant acquisitions along the way. These operators have significantly increased demand for containers. In the first eight months of 2025, the global volume of containers traded worldwide reached 126.75 million TEU. This is the result of a 4.4% increase in purchases compared to the same period in 2024, explains the CTS analyst, who reports that “Regional import data year-to-date shows strong growth in all regions except North America.”
Sub-Saharan Africa is among the leaders driving the growth in demand for containerized cargo, with countries driving a 16.4% increase in demand. Economies located on the Indian subcontinent generated an 8.7% increase in container demand. The Middle East and South and Central America increased demand for containerized cargo by 7.5%. Europe followed closely behind with a 7.3% increase. The results of European countries (and ports) were driven by an over 8.5% increase in imports from the Far East, the Indian Subcontinent, and the Middle East.
Liner operators with significant financial resources spent a significant portion of the profits generated during the pandemic to strengthen their position in ports. By engaging in terminal acquisitions or increasing equity stakes, shipowners secured operational and cost control. Many operators went further, expanding their control over the network of land and inland connections.
Terminal Mergers and Acquisitions to 2027: Drewry’s Global Container Terminal Operators Annual Review and Forecast
Terminal Mergers and Acquisitions
“Operators are resolutely pursuing expansion strategies based on mergers and acquisitions, which are often the only way to enter established port markets,” said Eleanor Hadland, author of the Drewry report. MSC and CMA CGM, in particular, have significantly expanded their marine terminal networks over the past five years, and this strategy shows no signs of slowing.
CMA CGM’s adjusted capacity is impressive, having increased by 4.6 million TEU (55%) since 2019. CMA CGM operates 64 terminals. On November 18, CMACGM announced that it will increase the facility’s terminal capacity by nearly 1.8 million TEU to 2.7 million TEU. This dynamic demand for services is driving the expansion of the CMA KhalifaPort terminal less than a year after its opening. The expansion will increase KhalifaPort’s total capacity to 10.5 million TEU. It will also improve conditions for inland and maritime transport within the United Arab Emirates.
The MSC Group achieved an even better result, securing an increase of 14.1 million TEU (47%) compared to the same five-year period. The operator manages the terminals through Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), which has seen steady growth in transshipment capacity over the past 25 years. TiL holds a significant position in all global hubs, the operator reports.
It has particularly strong container volumes in Singapore, Ningbo, Busan, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Rotterdam, Antwerp, New York/New Jersey, and Valencia. TiL manages over 62 km of quays, handling 65 million TEU of containers annually.
Turkey on the Silk Road
Only China Merchants Port Group (CMPG) recorded a larger increase in volumes, at 48% and 19.7 million TEU. This increase was achieved primarily by increasing its stakes in other Chinese operators. CMPG has made only one investment outside the country since 2019.
More specifically, as part of the New Silk Road (Belt and Road) development program, state-owned freight forwarding and logistics company COSCO Pacific, in partnership with China Merchants Holdings International and CIC Capital, acquired a majority stake in Turkey’s third-largest container terminal, Kumport, according to Invest in TÜRKİYE.
The consortium paid $940 million for a 65% stake in Fina Liman, which was then the sole owner and operator of Kumport, a subsidiary of Fiba Holding. The remaining 35% of the shares are held by Oman’s sovereign wealth fund, the State General Reserve Fund (SGRF).
SGRF invested in the port’s construction in 2011. The container terminal is located on the Ambarli coast in Istanbul. It handles 1.3 million TEUs annually, accounting for 16% of Turkey’s maritime container traffic.
Container Terminal Throughput Growth for the 10 Largest Container Operators from 2019 to 2024. Source: Drewry’s Global Container Terminal Operators Annual Review and Forecast
CAGR of up to 16.3% by 2034
DP World’s cargo volumes have remained stable over the past five years. This is due to the decision to capitalize on key assets, including its flagship Jebel Ali terminal. DP World is investing not only in terminal development but also in expanding its forwarding and logistics operations.
As a result, total global container terminal throughput increased by over 16 million tons between 2019 and 2024. This has led to better results than other independent operators, including PSA International, Hutchison Ports, and China Merchants, notes analyst Drewry.
Global container terminal capacity is forecast to increase by 4.8%, reaching 64 million tons in 2025. “This will be the largest annual increase in absolute terms since the global financial crisis,” Hadland emphasizes. Container availability is also a key factor. Container price indices, which have largely stabilized, have a significant impact on investment in container trade.
CTS Global Container Price Index. Source: CTS
This will have a significant impact on the dynamic growth of port automation. The global market for autonomous port operations systems was estimated at $23.12 billion in 2024. The market is projected to grow from $25.79 billion in 2025 to $80.63 billion by 2034, demonstrating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.5% between 2025 and 2034, according to Polaris Market Research’s forecasts in “Autonomous Port Operations Systems Market Size, Share, Trends, Industry Analysis.”
According to various market reports, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for autonomous port operations systems is expected to be approximately 13.5% to 16.3% between 2025 and 2034. For the “automated container terminals market,” a report by Polaris Market Research projects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.83% from 2024 to 2033. Meanwhile, a report by Business Research Company projects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8% from 2024 to 2030. Higher growth rates in the broader “autonomous port operating systems” market may reflect the incorporation of a broader range of technologies beyond physical terminal equipment.
Source: Drewry
Deglobalization in Retreat
Container terminal activity will have a significant impact on the dynamics of total port throughput in all markets. Deglobalization and programs intended to revitalize and emancipate EU and US industries have failed. The increase in investment activity and transshipment capacity at container terminals, along with the development of robotics and automation, is a result of the recovery in trade and the direct rebound in foreign trade following the pandemic.
Congestion at ports and terminals, and the “misalignment” of liner carrier schedules, have sparked a wave of container terminal modernization and expansion. Modernization, mergers, and acquisitions (M&A) remain key factors in increasing terminal throughput in the short term. Global players are also focusing on greenfield investments, which are particularly prevalent in emerging markets. Most global operators have one or more greenfield projects planned.
Drewry has determined that four operators – CMA CGM, Adani, MSC, and AD Ports – will add greenfield capacity by 2029, increasing transshipment capacity by 3 million TEU or more. These assumptions can already be revised upwards.
President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have led to trade in the Asia-Pacific region expanding under pressure from dynamic production operations and expanding economic cooperation. Emerging markets remain the preferred location for greenfield projects. Operators are investing in the development of terminals in Vietnam, Egypt, India, and Morocco.
New projects emphasize environmentally friendly terminals, automated, and those utilizing the latest IT technologies, including IoT and AI. Terminal management companies are also investing in the expansion and modernization of existing assets.