Ships carry much of the global trade goods across countries and continents. Over 5,000 commercial ships transport all types of goods cheaply and efficiently across vast distances.

The graph below shows the world’s largest container posts in 2104:

Source: Trade – The whole world in boxes, Deutsche Welle

Asia has emerged as the largest region in terms of trade goods’ export and import. As the above chart shows, none of the North American or European countries are in the top 10 spots. Though LA and Long Beach are major ports in the US, in terms of cargo capacity handled they pale in comparison to Shanghai or Shenzhen.