For the second year running, Singapore emerged the top container port of the world in 2006 when its throughput at 24.79 million TEUs posted a growth of about 6.9 per cent over 2005. During the same period, Hong Kong, with a throughput of 23.34 million TEUs and posting a growth of 2.8 per cent over 2005, continued to occupy the second slot.

A Bloomberg report attributed the not-so-satisfactory growth of Hong Kong to the steady rise of Shanghai, Shenzhen and other Chinese ports, causing diversion of traffic from Hong Kong. If the present traffic trend is any indication, Hong Kong, it is felt, might fall even behind Shanghai in 2007. This will happen because of the big boost in container throughput Shanghai has received as a sequel to the commissioning of its deepwater harbour at Yangshan in December 2005, so much so that it is estimated that Shanghai's container volume might exceed 30 million TEUs by 2010.