The UN/LOCODE (United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations) is a 5-character code identifying ports and logistics locations worldwide — the first two letters are the country, the last three the location.
Below is a list of the major global container ports and their UN/LOCODE identifiers. These codes appear on bills of lading and customs declarations to record where a shipment was loaded and discharged, so knowing the list helps you read trade data and track cargo across the world's busiest gateways — from Shanghai and Singapore to Rotterdam, Los Angeles and Jebel Ali.
Global port code list — major container ports
| Port | Country | UN/LOCODE |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | China | CNSHA |
| Singapore | Singapore | SGSIN |
| Ningbo-Zhoushan | China | CNNGB |
| Shenzhen | China | CNSZX |
| Guangzhou | China | CNGZG |
| Busan | South Korea | KRPUS |
| Qingdao | China | CNTAO |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | HKHKG |
| Rotterdam | Netherlands | NLRTM |
| Antwerp | Belgium | BEANR |
| Hamburg | Germany | DEHAM |
| Los Angeles | United States | USLAX |
| Long Beach | United States | USLGB |
| New York/New Jersey | United States | USNYC |
| Jebel Ali (Dubai) | United Arab Emirates | AEJEA |
| Port Klang | Malaysia | MYPKG |
| Tanjung Pelepas | Malaysia | MYTPP |
| Laem Chabang | Thailand | THLCH |
| Colombo | Sri Lanka | LKCMB |
| Mumbai (Nhava Sheva) | India | INNSA |
| Mundra | India | INMUN |
| Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | SAJED |
| Valencia | Spain | ESVLC |
| Piraeus | Greece | GRPIR |
| Felixstowe | United Kingdom | GBFXT |
| Santos | Brazil | BRSSZ |
| Manzanillo | Mexico | MXZLO |
| Tokyo | Japan | JPTYO |
| Ho Chi Minh (Cat Lai) | Vietnam | VNSGN |
| Tanger Med | Morocco | MAPTM |
Top container shipping carriers
| Carrier | Full name | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| MSC | Mediterranean Shipping Co. | Switzerland |
| Maersk | A.P. Moller–Maersk | Denmark |
| CMA CGM | CMA CGM Group | France |
| COSCO | COSCO Shipping Lines | China |
| Hapag-Lloyd | Hapag-Lloyd AG | Germany |
| ONE | Ocean Network Express | Japan/Singapore |
| Evergreen | Evergreen Marine | Taiwan |
| HMM | HMM Co. Ltd | South Korea |
| Yang Ming | Yang Ming Marine Transport | Taiwan |
| ZIM | ZIM Integrated Shipping | Israel |
| Wan Hai | Wan Hai Lines | Taiwan |
| PIL | Pacific International Lines | Singapore |
How to read a UN/LOCODE
A UN/LOCODE is five characters: the first two are the ISO country code, and the last three identify the location within that country. So CNSHA is Shanghai in China (CN + SHA), NLRTM is Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and AEJEA is Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates. The codes are not always an obvious abbreviation of the port name, which is why a reference list is useful when you are reading raw trade documents.
On a bill of lading the loading and discharge ports are usually recorded as these codes, so being able to decode them tells you the true origin and destination of a shipment — not just the country, but the specific gateway. That matters when you are comparing suppliers who ship through different ports, spotting transhipment via a hub like Singapore, or working out which port a competitor relies on.
Every bill of lading in our database records the port of loading, port of discharge and carrier. ← Back to all resources