Guangzhou, China — The Port of Nansha continues to solidify its position as South China’s fastest-growing container gateway, offering global shippers a compelling combination of scale, cost efficiency, and risk reduction as supply chains plan for 2026 and beyond.
In 2025, Nansha handled 22.6 million TEUs, representing 10.3% year-over-year growth and accounting for approximately 75% of Guangzhou Port Group’s total volume. The Guangzhou Port Group reached 28.1 million TEUs, up 6.1% year over year, with Nansha driving the majority of that growth.
This performance reflects a broader market shift as shippers increasingly prioritize reliability, diversification, and total landed cost over legacy routing habits.
With tariff headwinds easing, manufacturers and retailers are revisiting production shifts back to China to take advantage of proven supplier networks, speed to market, and economies of scale. However, shippers are pairing that return with a more deliberate approach to logistics risk.
“Shippers are voting with their cargo,” said John Painter, CEO/Founder of Port of Nansha, America. “Nansha’s growth is not accidental — it’s the result of deliberate investments in efficiency, capacity, and operational resilience.”
Lower Risk Across the Supply Chain
Compared with traditional South China gateways such as Shenzhen, Nansha offers a measurably lower risk profile across key shipper concerns:
Cost Risk: Competitive port charges, available government subsidies, and lower total landed costs help offset rate and fee volatility.
Time & Disruption Risk: Reduced congestion, shorter origin dray distances, and faster gate and vessel turnaround improve schedule reliability.
Capacity & Reliability Risk: Rapid capacity growth and strong carrier participation reduce the likelihood of rolled bookings during peak periods.
Resilience Risk: Diversifying volume through Nansha (Port Diversification) reduces exposure to single-port disruptions caused by labor issues, weather events, or capacity constraints.
As supply chains face ongoing uncertainty, shippers are increasingly seeking gateways that provide optionality without sacrificing scale. “Nansha’s growth demonstrates that cargo is gravitating toward ports that can deliver both scale and stability.” added Painter.
A Strategic Origin for 2026 Contracts
With continued infrastructure investment (On Dock Rail, Dry/Cold Warehousing, Automated Terminal), expanding carrier services, and sustained double-digit growth, Nansha is rapidly becoming the primary gateway of choice for exporters in the Pearl River Delta.
Many Shippers are now incorporating FOB Nansha into their 2026 service contracts as a proactive step to reduce risk, control costs, and improve end-to-end reliability.
“The smartest supply chains don’t wait for disruption to force change,” Craig Akers, Managing Director of the Toy Shippers Association (TOYSA), added. “They proactively build resilience through trusted partners."
About the Port of Nansha
Located at the heart of the Greater Bay Area, the Port of Nansha serves as Guangzhou’s primary deep-water container hub, connecting South China manufacturers to global markets with efficiency, scale, and reliability.
