The Tanger Med Port has secured the fourth position in the 2023 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), a ranking developed by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence.
This prestigious ranking places Tanger Med ahead of all other ports in Africa and Europe for the second consecutive year. The port of Yangshan in China topped the list, followed by Salalah in Oman and Cartagena in Colombia, with Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia rounding out the top five, according to the World Bank’s announcement on Tuesday.
The CPPI serves as a benchmark for global economic stakeholders, including states, port authorities, development agencies, supranational organizations, and private operators in trade, logistics, and supply chains.
The index evaluates 405 container ports worldwide based on their efficiency, particularly the time ships spend in port. The goal is to highlight improvement opportunities that benefit all stakeholders in the international trade system and global supply chains, from port authorities to shipping companies, national governments, and consumers.
East and Southeast Asian ports dominate the ranking, occupying 13 of the top 20 positions globally. This fourth edition of the index relies on an unprecedented dataset, encompassing over 182,000 port calls, 238.2 million container moves, and approximately 381 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in the past year.
Given that over 80% of global merchandise trade is conducted by sea, the resilience, efficiency, and overall performance of ports are crucial for global markets and economic development, the international financial institution emphasizes.
The new report notes that regional disruptions have impacted port performance worldwide.
“Although the challenges and shockwaves from the COVID-19 pandemic have further receded in 2023, container shipping remains an unpredictable and volatile sector,” states Martin Humphreys, lead transport economist at the World Bank.
“Major ports must invest in resilience, new technologies, and green infrastructure to ensure the stability of global markets and the sustainability of the shipping industry,” Humphreys added, as quoted in the statement.
The CPPI 2023 includes 57 new ports, such as Muuga in Estonia and Duqm in Oman, along with several significant developments. “There is now a greater awareness of the importance of resilience and efficiency in maritime gateways, coupled with a better understanding of the adverse economic effects of port waiting times,” notes Turloch Mooney, head of port information and analytics at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
