Share this article Share this article ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The study is global, yet split into 7 regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. It includes the top 100 ports based on twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled, corroborated for 196 countries. The shipping industry is responsible for about 90% of global trade by volume. Governments prioritize the safe and secure transportation of goods, including from land to sea at port sites, to ensure economic stability and growth. Ports are regarded as national infrastructure and are both a potential terrorist target and an entry point for terrorists; still, persistent threats (the illegal movement of individuals, weapons, drugs, or other illicit materials) are often higher on the risk register than terrorism-related threats because they are more common and cause greater losses or damage to port operations. Concerns about persistent threats are primarily behind the push to enhance security technology at ports, with the West taking tougher stances on border control to stem the tide of illegal immigration.