MALAYSIA’S maritime sector has reached a historic milestone, with Port Klang officially ranked among the world’s top 10 busiest container ports for the first time, according to Lloyd’s List 2025.
The annual industry ranking placed Port Klang at number 10 in its Top 100 Ports list, surpassing Hong Kong — a significant indicator of Malaysia’s growing competitiveness and prominence as a regional maritime power.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) said the achievement marked a steady rise for Port Klang, which ranked 13th in 2022 and climbed to 11th in 2023.
“This is the result of continued efforts to strengthen the port’s capacity, infrastructure and capabilities to meet global trade demands,” the ministry said.
The ministry attributed the port’s success in part to major infrastructure investments, including the Westports terminal expansion (CT10–CT17), which is expected to double Port Klang’s handling capacity from 14 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 28 million by 2028.
Additional upgrades at Northport — including the redevelopment of Wharf 9 and other facilities — aim to support larger vessels and increased cargo volumes. Meanwhile, long-term plans for the Carey Island mega port project could see total capacity surge to 30 million TEUs annually by 2060.
The ministry also noted that Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) maintained its global ranking of 15th for both 2023 and 2024, with a significant year-on-year increase in container throughput — rising 16.9 percent from 10.48 million TEUs in 2023 to 12.25 million TEUs in 2024.
“Together, the combined strength of Port Klang and PTP made Malaysia the fifth-largest country globally in total container throughput for 2024, reinforcing the country’s strategic role along the Strait of Malacca — the world’s busiest maritime corridor,” the ministry said.
In 2024, Port Klang handled 14.64 million TEUs, up 4.1 percent from 14.06 million in 2023. Despite global disruptions such as the Red Sea crisis, the port remained resilient and adaptable to shifting trade flows.
“With this positive momentum, container throughput is projected to reach 14.98 million TEUs in 2025, further solidifying Port Klang’s status as a leading global maritime hub,” said the ministry.
Lloyd’s List is the world’s oldest maritime industry publication and remains a key reference for international port performance and shipping trends. - Sept 1, 2025
