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Shipping containers: top exporters and importers (2024)

In 2024, world trade in shipping containers totaled $7 billion (12.6 million tonnes). China accounted for 51% of exports, followed by the United States (7%) and Germany (4%); the top importers were Singapore (15%), the United States (12%) and Germany (6%). Compared with 2019, the value rose 60%.

Summary

World trade
$7billion
Tonnes
12.6million tonnes
Price per tonne
$554
The largest flows between countries. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Top exporters

  1. China$3.6 billion · 51.5%
  2. United States$459 million · 6.6%
  3. Germany$294 million · 4.2%
  4. Poland$266 million · 3.8%
  5. Netherlands$240 million · 3.4%
    re-exports
  6. Italy$205 million · 2.9%
  7. Guyana$165 million · 2.4%
  8. Malaysia$147 million · 2.1%
  9. United Kingdom$130 million · 1.9%
  10. France$120 million · 1.7%
  11. Slovakia$97 million · 1.4%
  12. Czechia$75 million · 1.1%
  13. Thailand$71 million · 1%
  14. Belgium$63 million · 0.91%
    re-exports
  15. South Korea$61 million · 0.88%
  16. Spain$58 million · 0.83%
  17. South Africa$54 million · 0.78%
  18. Canada$53 million · 0.77%
  19. Singapore$47 million · 0.68%
    re-exports
  20. Japan$47 million · 0.68%

Top importers

  1. Singapore$1 billion · 14.9%
    re-exports
  2. United States$838 million · 12%
  3. Germany$401 million · 5.8%
  4. South Korea$325 million · 4.7%
  5. France$279 million · 4%
  6. United Arab Emirates$226 million · 3.2%
  7. British Virgin Islands$193 million · 2.8%
  8. Saudi Arabia$189 million · 2.7%
  9. Netherlands$186 million · 2.7%
    re-exports
  10. Japan$183 million · 2.6%
  11. Canada$163 million · 2.3%
  12. United Kingdom$154 million · 2.2%
  13. Russia$153 million · 2.2%
  14. Australia$140 million · 2%
  15. Israel$136 million · 2%
  16. Sweden$124 million · 1.8%
  17. Trinidad and Tobago$115 million · 1.6%
  18. Indonesia$111 million · 1.6%
  19. Norway$109 million · 1.6%
  20. India$106 million · 1.5%

Trend

Who sells it

China was the top exporter throughout the period

Value in USD billions. The five largest exporters in 2024.

  • China 3.6
  • United States 0.46
  • Germany 0.29
  • Poland 0.27
  • Netherlands 0.24

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Country19952024
China0.353.6
United States0.070.46
Germany0.040.29
Poland0.050.27
Netherlands0.020.24

Price

Implied price

The price per tonne fell 37% since 1995

Current US dollars per tonne: value over the weight reported by BACI.

  • 2024: $554

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearUSD per tonne
1995$875
1996$1,118
1997$1,116
1998$834
1999$617
2000$1,195
2001$1,177
2002$1,208
2003$1,288
2004$1,271
2005$1,463
2006$1,500
2007$886
2008$922
2009$826
2010$271
2011$1,060
2012$1,490
2013$1,306
2014$1,165
2015$1,010
2016$135
2017$555
2018$404
2019$582
2020$347
2021$1,430
2022$1,856
2023$1,246
2024$554

What it includes

  • 8609 · Shipping containers

Products in the same chapter

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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