Thanks to the upswing in the world economy in 2017, port activity and cargo handling of containerized and bulk cargo expanded rapidly, according to the latest report on maritime transport by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

As the backbone of international trade, the volume of global seaborne trade totaled 10.7 billion tons in 2017 - an increase of 4 percent over the previous year, which forms the fastest growth in five years, according to the report. 

World container port throughput reached 752.2 million TEUs in 2017, registering an increase of 6 percent during the year, up from 2.1 percent in 2016.

Asia plays an important role in international trade and shipping. Among the global top 10 ports by cargo throughput, only two are outside Asia, while seven are in China. 

The Asia-Pacific region accounts for 63 percent of world container port volume with Europe contributing 16 percent and North America 8 percent.

The following are the global top 10 ports by cargo throughput:

10. Rotterdam

Country: Netherlands

Cargo throughput: 467 million tons

Percentage change (2017-2016): 1.3