Shipping Containers Market Report 2025

The shipping containers market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $11.46 billion in 2024 to $12.27 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rise of multinational corporations, port infrastructure development, industrialization and container standardization, economic growth and market integration, intermodal transportation advancements.

The shipping containers market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $16.84 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to cultural and artistic use, hospitality and tourism sector, pop-up retail and events, disaster relief and emergency housing, logistics and warehousing solutions. Major trends in the forecast period include modular construction, sustainable building materials, urbanization and housing needs, pop-up retail and events, disaster relief and emergency housing, customization and design aesthetics.

The growth of the shipping container market can be attributed to the rising demand for cargo transportation via ships. This increase is driven by several factors, including the cost-effectiveness and enhanced security of moving goods through waterways compared to other transportation methods. For example, in December 2023, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that in 2023, exports and imports accounted for 11.7 percent of the tonnage and 20.6 percent of the value of freight shipments in the United States. These figures are anticipated to grow, with projections indicating that international trade will comprise 13.8 percent of the tonnage and 21.7 percent of the value of freight transported across the U.S. by 2050. This trend is expected to further accelerate the growth of the shipping container market.

The growth of the shipping containers market is projected to be significantly influenced by the rise of e-commerce. E-commerce, which encompasses the buying and selling of goods and services, as well as the transmission of money or data through electronic networks - primarily the Internet - relies on shipping containers for the efficient transportation and delivery of products globally. This process streamlines logistics and helps reduce costs. For example, in February 2024, the United States Census Bureau reported that estimated U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the fourth quarter of 2023 reached $285.2 billion, reflecting a 0.8 percent increase (±1.1%) from the third quarter of 2023. Consequently, the growth in e-commerce is driving the expansion of the shipping containers market.

Key players in the shipping containers market are directing their focus towards developing cloud-based technologies to optimize tracking, inventory management, and logistics operations. Meratus, an Indonesia-based shipping company, exemplifies this trend with the launch of the SMARCO-Smart Container in March 2023. This cloud-based solution incorporates advanced IoT sensors, GPS tracking, and cloud technologies, offering businesses full visibility and control over shipping containers, thereby enhancing efficiency and safety.

In October 2024, CMA CGM, a shipping and logistics company based in France, announced its acquisition of Containerships for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition is intended to enhance CMA CGM's presence in the intra-European transportation market and is part of the company's broader strategy to expand its regional network. Containerships, which is headquartered in Finland, specializes in containerized trade within Europe.

Major companies operating in the shipping containers market include A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, China International Marine Containers (Group) Co Ltd. (CIMC), COSCO SHIPPING Development Co Ltd., Triton International Limited, CXIC Group Containers Company Limited, Container Corporation of India Limited, Textainer Group Holdings Limited, Shanghai Universal Logistics Equipment Co Ltd., Maersk Container Industry A/S, THIELMANN Group, OEG Offshore Limited, Sea Box Inc., Hoover Container Solutions, Florens Container Services B.V., Cronos Containers Ltd., BSL Containers Ltd., CARU Containers B.V., Charleston Marine Containers Inc., Klinge Corporation, UES International Pty Ltd, TLS Offshore Containers International Pvt Ltd, SCHüTZ Container Systems Inc., Pacific Tycoon Limited, W&K Containers Inc., American Intermodal Container Manufacturing Inc. (AICM), Storstac Inc., TRS Containers, Rava Group Containers, Skelton Container Services Ltd., Global Container Solutions Ltd.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the shipping containers market in 2024. The regions covered in the shipping containers market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the shipping containers market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The shipping container market consists of sales of tunnel containers, open-side storage containers, general-purpose containers, insulated containers, half-height containers, and swap body containers. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

A shipping container is a robust metal box designed for transporting items from one location to another. Typically constructed of steel to endure lengthy shipments, these containers range in size from common corrugated boxes to larger steel containers used for intermodal shipments.

The shipping containers market, covered in the report, is segmented by product type into dry storage containers, flat rack containers, refrigerated containers, special-purpose containers, open-top containers, double-door containers, and others. Container sizes include small containers, large containers, high cube containers, and end-uses encompass food and beverages, consumer goods, healthcare, industrial products, vehicle transport, and others.

The shipping containers market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides shipping containers market statistics, including shipping containers industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a shipping containers market share, detailed shipping containers market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the shipping containers industry. This shipping container market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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