Why One in Three Containers Travels Empty
When most people think about container shipping, they picture vessels loaded with goods destined for consumers and businesses around the world. However, a growing portion of global container shipping is dedicated to moving something far less exciting: empty containers.
According to new analysis from Sea-Intelligence, approximately one in every three containers moved globally is now shipped without cargo. Before the pandemic, that figure was closer to one in four.
The numbers are significant. Measured in TEU-miles, a metric that considers both the number of containers and the distance travelled, around 30% of all global container shipping activity now involves repositioning empty containers. Since the first quarter of 2019, the volume of empty containers moved has increased by 65%, compared to just 17% growth in the movement of full containers.
So why is this happening?
The answer lies in global trade imbalances.
Some regions export significantly more goods than they import, while others import more than they export. As a result, containers naturally accumulate in some locations while shortages develop in others. Shipping lines must then reposition empty containers to areas where exporters need them, often over vast distances.
While this process is essential to keeping global trade moving, it comes at a cost. Every empty container occupying space on a vessel is capacity that cannot be used for revenue-generating cargo. Carriers must absorb the expense of relocating equipment, and ultimately these costs can flow through to freight rates.
The findings show an increasingly complex challenge for the container shipping industry. Despite larger vessels, improved technology, and more sophisticated network planning, the growing cost of managing container imbalances is becoming a significant factor in global logistics.
As international trade patterns continue to evolve, efficiently positioning equipment where it is needed will remain one of the industry's most important operational challenges.