Great Lakes Port Data | 2020 Top 50 Global Freight

2020 Essential Revenue and Operating Information for the 50 Largest Global Freight Carriers

Up Front

Freight carriers across the world experienced dramatic market shifts and volume swings in 2020.
The new trade deal between U.S., Mexico and Canada provides market certainty for North American trade.
The world’s largest freight carriers have navigated unprecedented circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rankings

 

Great Lakes

Port Name City Type of Freight TEUs Volume of Freight Tonnage
Ashtabula Harbor Ashtabula, Ohio dry bulk NA 4,254,537
Buffington Harbor Buffington, Ind. NA NA 1,634,865
Drummond Island Port Drummond Island, Mich. NA NA 1,260,854
Fairport Harbor Point Fairport Harbor, Ohio NA NA 1,957,879
Indiana Harbor East Chicago, Ind. dry bulk, liquid bulk, heavy lift NA 11,910,541
Port Clinton Marblehead, Ohio NA NA 1,889,279
Port Dolomite Clark Township, Mich. NA NA 2,766,412
Port Inland Gulliver, Mich. NA NA 4,327,245
Port of Alpena Alpena, Mich. NA NA 2,237,836
Port of Calcite Calcite, Mich. special project cargo NA 7,759,361
Port of Chicago Chicago dry bulk, liquid bulk NA 16,866,792
Port of Cleveland Cleveland container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, heavy lift, special project cargo NA 11,778,910
Port of Conneaut Conneaut, Ohio NA NA 3,487,058
Port of Detroit Detroit dry bulk, liquid bulk, passenger NA 14,837,762
Port of Duluth-Superior Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis. break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, heavy lift, passenger NA 35,102,200
Port of Gary Gary, Ind. NA NA 8,600,449
Port of Grand Haven Grand Haven, Mich. NA NA 1,321,003
Port of Green Bay Green Bay, Wis. dry bulk, liquid bulk NA 2,156,416
Port of Hamilton Hamilton, Ontario container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, special project cargo NA 11,628,319
Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor Portage, Ind. container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, heavy lift NA 8,496,097
Port of Milwaukee Milwaukee dry bulk NA 2,301,557
Port of Monroe Monroe, Mich. NA NA 1,195,210
Port of Montreal Montreal container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, passenger NA 38,041,530
Port of Sandusky Sandusky, Ohio NA NA 2,247,534
Port of Silver Bay Silver Bay, Minn. NA NA 6,248,656
Port of St. Clair St. Clair, Mich. NA NA 6,192,710
Port of Stoneport Stoneport, Mich. NA NA 4,141,455
Port of Toledo Toledo, Ohio NA NA 8,899,825
Port of Toronto Toronto container, break bulk, dry bulk, liquid bulk, passenger NA 2,172,750
Presque Isle Harbor Presque Isle, Mich. NA NA 7,473,094
Two Harbors Two Harbors, Minn. dry bulk NA 17,208,207

Extras

Seaports have experienced huge volume swings in 2020.
If your company appears in the 2020 list, you have a few ways to announce it. Visit our logo library to get web- and print-ready graphics.
North America’s busiest cargo airports.
Learn more about Transport Topics’ Top 50 Global Freight Carriers publication.
Find out where the Top 50 Global Freight Carriers are based.
FedEx and UPS face their biggest test yet amid e-commerce growth and early holiday shopping.

Global Freight News

BusinessFor-HireGlobal Freight

XPO Reports Q3 Revenue Jumps to $2 Billion

The Greenwich, Conn.-based LTL carrier reported net income of $82 million for the three months ending Sept. 30. That compared with $95 million the previous year. 

October 31, 2025
BusinessTechnologyLogisticsPrivateGlobal Freight

Cloud Computing Growth Pushes Amazon Earnings Higher

Analysts are assessing Amazon's results, along with other retailers' earnings performances, to get insight into how shoppers are spending heading into the holiday season.

October 31, 2025
BusinessLogisticsFor-HirePrivateGlobal Freight

UPS Stuns Wall Street With Strong Profit and 34,000 Job Cuts

The results suggest CEO Carol Tomé’s revival efforts are gaining traction after UPS struggled with slow demand, high expenses and uncertainty fueled by tariffs.

October 28, 2025
BusinessTechnologyLogisticsPrivateGlobal Freight

Amazon Launches New AI Shopping Tool in US for Indecisive

The Help Me Decide feature will appear at the top of a product detail page after shoppers have looked at several similar items. Those who tap the button will see a single product recommendation.

October 23, 2025
GovernmentBusinessLogisticsGlobal Freight

DSV Warns of More Cost Cuts as Tariffs Hurt Freight Markets

Challenging market conditions related to trade tariffs and other macroeconomic factors have become “more visible in global trade flows” in the past quarter, DSV said. 

October 23, 2025
BusinessTechnologyLogisticsPrivateGlobal Freight

Amazon Tests Augmented Reality Glasses for Drivers

Amazon said it was conducting trials of the glasses with drivers in North America and planned to further refine the technology before any broader rollout.  

October 22, 2025
GovernmentBusinessLogisticsGlobal Freight

Vessels Clog China Ports as Fees on US Ships Begin

Beijing and Washington have sparred over shipping, with China introducing a hefty extra fee on vessels known to have American links, following a similar U.S. move.

October 21, 2025
BusinessLogisticsPrivateGlobal Freight

Amazon Delivery Firms Are Bailing Amid Rising Costs

Amazon launched its Delivery Service Partner program in 2018, offering aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to run their own businesses. Today, some fear the best days are behind them.

October 20, 2025
GovernmentBusinessFuelLogisticsGlobal Freight

US Blocks Global Carbon Tax on Ships for Now

Countries at an IMO gathering in London voted to push back for a year a decision on whether to make ships start paying for the more than 1 billion tons of greenhouse gases they emit each year. 

October 17, 2025
GovernmentBusinessFuelLogisticsGlobal Freight

US Wants Extra Step to Adopt Ship Carbon Tax

Nations are at an International Maritime Organization meeting in London to decide on landmark regulations to make vessels start paying for their greenhouse gas emissions.

October 16, 2025

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