Port connectivity index reveals that the crisis has become an engine for trade pattern transformation.

Port Connectivity Index Reveals Crises as Engines of Trade Pattern Transformation

After the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the container shipping industry had anticipated a return to "normalcy." However, the real "new normal" is only just beginning: a continuous series of crises has fundamentally reshaped global trade patterns. The Port Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (PLSCI), jointly developed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and MDS Transmodal, reveals the fine-tuning within the liner shipping network, indicating that the successive crises of this decade have had profound impacts on trade patterns.

Key Developments

The PLSCI measures a port's integration with the global liner network across six dimensions: number of liner services, number of operating shipping lines, deployed capacity, number of direct connections, etc. Data shows that the Red Sea crisis has triggered a broad structural reshaping of global trade: the most connected top-tier ports have stabilized, while secondary ports exhibit greater dynamism.

Antonella Teodoro, Senior Analyst at MDS Transmodal, notes: "Changes in connectivity increasingly reflect the fine-tuning of the network, rather than a fundamental redrawing." One major change is the rapid growth of connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa following the effective closure of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal at the end of 2023.

"Over the past three years, liner capacity deployed to sub-Saharan Africa has increased significantly, highlighting the region's growing strategic importance in the global liner network. From July 2023 to July 2026, the top ten operators serving the region all increased capacity, but with notable differences in growth rates," Teodoro said.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) strengthened its market leadership, boosting monthly capacity by 60% to nearly 585,000 TEU. Maersk and CMA CGM also recorded significant growth of 31% and 28% respectively, maintaining their positions as leading carriers in the region. Among traditional global operators, Hapag-Lloyd, Pacific International Lines, COSCO Shipping, and ZIM all expanded capacity by 37% to 57%, reflecting sustained confidence in sub-Saharan Africa trade. Carriers with smaller capacity bases saw even greater increases: Ocean Network Express (ONE) doubled its capacity (+102%), and Evergreen Marine grew by 173%. Most notably, Abu Dhabi Ports Company saw a dramatic increase of 354%, "highlighting its rapid rise in African liner services and its continued strengthening of maritime and logistics presence across the continent," Teodoro added.

Supply Chain Impact

The increase in capacity to sub-Saharan Africa is reshaping the region's supply chain landscape. As port and infrastructure investments grow, regional competition will intensify. Teodoro believes, "The increase in deployed capacity reflects both the ongoing expansion of African trade and carriers' efforts to position themselves for long-term growth opportunities." For industries that rely on the region for raw material exports and consumer goods imports—such as mining, agricultural products, and manufacturing—the capacity growth means more accessible logistics channels and potential cost reductions.At the same time, global connectivity has entered a more stable phase. The world's top three connected container ports—Shanghai, Ningbo, and Singapore—have remained resilient after various crises in the Middle East, with indices rising to 2,372, 2,041, and 1,834 respectively. However, the ports immediately following in the rankings show greater vitality. Connectivity of ports in South Asia and Southeast Asia has significantly increased over the past three years, a shift that Teodoro calls "a broad and structurally embedded transformation driven by changes in trade and manufacturing patterns."

The Port of Colombo is the most obvious example: its PLSCI score rose 12% from 643 in Q2 2023 to 719 in Q2 2026, the number of services increased from 72 to 80, operators from 33 to 36, deployed capacity from 18.7 million TEU to 22.4 million TEU, and direct connections from 116 to 132. Teodoro emphasized: "Importantly, growth was distributed across all six components of the index, indicating true network deepening rather than isolated capacity expansion or cyclical recovery. Vietnam also shows a similar trajectory, albeit from a different starting point." Haiphong Port's connectivity grew 20% to 690, Ho Chi Minh City grew 9% to 620, and Vung Tau Port's deployed capacity significantly expanded from 14.1 million TEU to 24.2 million TEU, reflecting its increasingly important role in regional processing and transshipment.

Regional Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa: Becomes a new growth pole of the global liner network, with major carriers competing to deploy capacity and accelerating investment in port infrastructure. This helps reduce Africa's import and export costs and enhance its ability to integrate into global value chains.

South Asia and Southeast Asia: Ports such as Colombo, Haiphong, and Vung Tau are taking over incremental network growth shifting from Chinese gateway ports, becoming emerging hubs in manufacturing diversification strategies. This trend indicates that the Southeast Asian corridor is gradually replacing the single-center pattern of China.

Northeast Asia: Traditional hubs such as Shanghai and Ningbo still maintain the highest level of connectivity, but growth has slowed, indicating that their status as global trade centers is stable, but the incremental part is spilling outward.

Middle East: Despite the ongoing impact of the Red Sea crisis, entities such as Abu Dhabi Ports are actively expanding their business in Africa, showing that Middle Eastern hubs are transforming their roles through an Africa strategy.

Industry Perspectives

MDS Transmodal analysts point out that these trends collectively point to a "slow but continuous redistribution of connectivity—shifting toward a broader Southeast Asian corridor." The incremental network growth traditionally concentrated in Chinese gateway ports is now being absorbed by secondary and emerging regional hubs embedded in manufacturing diversification strategies. For liner companies, this means adjusting route network layouts and increasing port call frequencies at African and Southeast Asian ports; for shippers and freight forwarders, it means reassessing transport routes and cost structures.

Future OutlookAs the Red Sea crisis continues to evolve and global manufacturing supply chains restructure, the redistribution of port connectivity is expected to continue. Sub-Saharan Africa still has room for capacity growth, while the deepening of Southeast Asian ports will accelerate. At the same time, capacity constraints and geopolitical risks at key chokepoints such as the Panama Canal and Suez Canal will continue to impact network design. In the long run, the global liner network will evolve from a highly centralized to a multi-centric structure.

Conclusion

The latest data from PLSCI clearly shows that crises have become the engines of change in global trade patterns. From the rise of Sub-Saharan Africa to the prosperity of Southeast Asian sub-hubs, the liner shipping network is undergoing a quiet but profound restructuring. For industry participants, understanding and adapting to this structural shift will be key to future competitiveness.

*Source:* Seatrade Maritime News - Port connectivity index reveals tumbling crises are engines of change