World Bank CPPI Index: Chinese Container Ports Dominate Top 10 [REPORT]

Artificial intelligence will not replace the efficient management of ports and container terminals. Seaports and terminals are merely victims of disruptions in global logistics chains, but they should participate in improving them – these are the main conclusions of the World Bank (2026), “The Container Port Performance Index 2025: A Comparable Assessment of Performance Based on Vessel Time in Port,” published this week.

The Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2025 provides a data-driven assessment of the performance of container terminals globally. And more specifically, it assesses the organizational efficiency of port administrations in handling liner services. The Chinese container terminals in Fuzhou, Dalin, and Salalah in Oman performed best in the CPPI analysis in 2025.

Many logistics operators consider the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence index when planning their connection networks. The CPPI has become a recognized index enabling comparisons of the operational efficiency of ports operating in different economic systems. Therefore, the conclusions drawn from its analysis should be taken into account by both logisticians and port and terminal managers.

When designing services, shipowners often rely on the information provided by the CPPI. Its methodology takes into account verified data on the time container ships spend in port. This information is crucial for planning liner services and weaving the transport network. The CPPI “reflects the combined impact of maritime access, quay availability, cargo handling efficiency, terminal operations, and coordination between stakeholders.”

Source: “World Bank. 2026. The Container Port Performance Index 2025”

Asia at the forefront

“In 2025, global port performance showed a slight deterioration compared to 2024, i.e., the average turnaround time for ships was longer,” is the main conclusion of “World Bank. 2026. The Container Port Performance Index 2025: A Comparable Assessment of Performance based on Vessel Time in Port. © World Bank.”

Regional variations are evident. A significant factor in port competitiveness is their embeddedness in infrastructure. Based on an analysis of vessel handling in container ports, the report’s authors found that “Ports in middle- and high-income economies typically achieved shorter turnaround times.” This is a result of operations being “supported by stronger infrastructure, higher crane intensity, and better coordination.”

This pushed many ports in East and South Asia back into the lead, “while some ports in Europe and North America were still recovering from earlier bottlenecks.” Difficulties in handling container ships were noted in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2025.

Terminal capacity constraints were noted here. The report’s authors attribute this to congestion caused by increased imports. Therefore, in ports in this region, containerized vessels typically experienced longer turnaround times due to unloading. Of course, geopolitical disruptions also impact port activity in other regions. Chinese ports fared particularly well.

Source: Sufian Abdel-Gadir, The role of FDI in enhancing Oman’s ports sector, November 2018 Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs 11(1)

Salalah Port with High CPPI Outperforms the EU

However, the Arab port of Salalah, operated and managed by Salalah Port Services Company (SPSC), clearly stood out in the World Bank rankings. This deepwater port in Oman is strategically located on the Arabian Sea, so it remains unaffected by the Persian Gulf blockade. The Salalah container terminal recorded dynamic growth in both container volume and cargo in 2025. The port’s container terminal handled 31% more containers in 2025 than in 2024. APM Terminals’ cranes moved 4.3 million TEU between ships and the quay last year, compared to 3.3 million TEU the year before.

“The container terminal successfully navigated a challenging operating environment in 2025, shaped by geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and disruptions to global trade routes stemming from the Red Sea crisis,” SPSC reported in a financial report filed with the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX). (The exchange is a subsidiary of the Sultanate Investment Fund (OIA)).

APM Terminals emphasizes that Salalah is “the Port of Salalah is a major regional port in the Persian Gulf and a transshipment hub on the Arabian Sea. It is considered the best port in the region for access to the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and East Africa.” In 2023, the Port of Salalah maintained its position as the second most efficient container port in the world. The Port of Salalah also ranked first in the Central, Western, and South Asia regions.

Source: Fuzhou International Container Terminal, Fujian Port Group, PSA

Fuzhou Port No. 1 CPPI

The Port of Fuzhou, ranked first in the World Bank’s CPPI ranking, has exceeded 100 million tons of foreign trade transshipment, reports China Daily. Including domestic cargo, the port’s terminals handled 345 million tons. Fuzhou Port is located on the coast of Fujian Province in southeast China. The terminals are located at the mouth of the Min Jiang River into the South China Sea, adjacent to the Taiwan Strait.

In 2025, quay cranes handled 3.85 million TEU. This was a 0.9% increase compared to the previous year. Chinese port workers have earned a good rating for ship handling thanks to infrastructure investments. These investments amounted to 4.5 billion yuan ($644.45 million) last year alone, accounting for almost half of the total expenditure of coastal ports in Fujian, according to China Daily.

The completion of a 200,000-dwt terminal at the Jiangyin Port in Fuzhou has allowed for the development of a cluster capable of handling over 3 million TEU annually. Logistics efficiency has also increased thanks to the launch of Fujian’s first integrated rail-sea dispatch center at Jiangyin Port, according to the port authority. This has doubled the container terminal’s throughput. This has reduced the operating costs of handling each container by 30 yuan, according to the China Daily, citing the port authorities.

Infrastructure investments have attracted operators. Companies such as Wanhua Chemical Group, Shenyuan New Materials, and CATL have begun operations at the port. The new entities are said to have transformed the port “into a center of high-tech industrial clusters.”

A high CPPI provides a competitive advantage.

These two examples demonstrate that port competitiveness is built on a sound strategy, investments that support efficient customer service, and a well-integrated port offering into the global logistics network. This increases ports’ resilience to disruptions in global supply chains.

Geopolitical disruptions, climate change, and, more bluntly, wars and unforeseen political behavior all contribute to disruptions in liner services and cause terminal bottlenecks. “At the same time, poor operational efficiency within the port administration and services contributes to supply chain inefficiencies at this crucial point in the logistics network. Longer lead times reduce the effective capacity of sea and land transport and cause delays in global networks,” the report’s authors emphasize.

Source: “World Bank. 2026. The Container Port Performance Index 2025”

Valerie Levkov, Vice President for Infrastructure at the World Bank Group, explains on social media: “Port performance depends on how infrastructure, operations, and coordination interact in real time.” According to her, this system is currently under significant strain. Port operators’ work is hampered by irregular ship arrivals and congestion at port entrances.

These disruptions hinder effective logistics planning and operations. “At the same time, delays at ports reduce effective shipping capacity and exacerbate disruptions to global trade. For countries, this has implications for trade costs, reliability, and economic opportunities,” emphasizes the Vice President for Infrastructure at the World Bank Group.

“Analysis of CPPI data for 2020-2025 confirms a strong bidirectional relationship between port performance and supply chain congestion. Periods of increased congestion are associated with longer vessel turnaround times, while weaker port performance exacerbates disruptions by delaying subsequent calls and constraining throughput,” states the World Bank’s report, “2026. The Container Port Performance Index 2025: A Comparable Assessment of Performance based on Vessel Time in Port. © World Bank.”

Analysis of the CPPI over the longer term shows that higher revenues do not always guarantee protection against global disruptions. This was clearly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, “ports in Europe and North America, primarily in high-income regions, experienced some of the largest declines in CPPI,” the World Bank report authors note.

Ports in East and South Asia improved their liner service systems more rapidly. This was reflected in the CPPI. This was the result not only of investments but also, above all, of improved ship handling organization and the development of clusters of logistics systems. The development of entire sea-land logistics systems resulted in high CPPI indices.

In this way, the World Bank is fulfilling its mission by publishing another report, because, as Bertrand De la Borde and Guy Sear emphasize, “the index enables decision-makers, port authorities, operators, and development partners to assess performance trends and compare ports with others of their kind.” The index provides information that can support port managers’ decision-making based on hard data.

The CPPI can be useful in developing marketing and investment strategies. The index clearly positions ports as friendly to logistics operators and container shipowners, who, given high fuel prices, are counting every dollar. Therefore, it is worth taking a closer look at the tables from various regions and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the port and container terminal. In this case, artificial intelligence is not the answer.