Malaysia’s Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) is a new entrant in the top five of the latest Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2023, while Cartagena has moved up to number three.

The CPPI report by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence ranks ports by efficiency, focusing on the duration of port stay for container vessels, and is into its fourth edition.

The latest edition of the index highlights the efficiency of Asian container ports with East and Southeast Asian ports taking up 13 of the top 20 slots. The survey covers 405 ports globally that had a minimum of 24 valid port calls in the 12-month period.

Related: Red Sea rerouting causing Asian port congestion

Coming out tops was Yangshan terminal in the world’s largest container port of Shanghai, which maintained its position along with Salalah in Oman in second place.

In third place was the Colombian port of Cartagena which moved up from the fifth place, while Tangier Med maintained it position at number four. New in the top five was Malaysia’s PTP which moved up from sixth.

Biggest loser from the top five was the Port of Khalifa which dropped from third position in the CPPI 2022 to 29th for the 2023 report.

Meanwhile moving into the top 10 for the CPPI 2023 was Ningbo in seventh from 12th previously. The world’s second largest container port, and top transshipment hub, Singapore placed 17th in the 2023 index.

“While the challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath eased further in 2023, container shipping continues to be an unpredictable and volatile sector,” said Martin Humphreys, Lead Transport Economist at the World Bank.

However, while conditions eased last year, 2024 could present a different picture as the Red Sea Crisis and diversions via the Cape of Good Hope are a cause of growing port congestion.

The Port of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe ranked at position 91, while the UK’s biggest port – Felixstowe was182nd in the CPPI 2023.

The top placed port in United States in the CPPI 2023 ranking was Charleston in position 53. The Port of New York and New Jersey was ranked at 92 in the survey, while US West Coast gateway ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles ranked at positions 373 and 375 respectively.

“There is a greater awareness and focus on resilience and efficiency of maritime gateways and greater understanding of negative impact of port delays on economic development,” said Turloch Mooney, Head of Port Intelligence & Analytics at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Lowest ranking the CPPI 2023 were the South African ports of Ngqura and Cape Town at positions 404 and 405 respectively.