Okuzeka
International Trade vocabulary · Shipping and Transport

Container

Meaning in international trade, with examples

/kənˈteɪnər/nounCore term

In international trade, container means: A large metal box of standard size used to carry goods by ship, rail and truck without unloading the cargo when the transport mode changes.

In Turkish: konteyner

How it is used

The common sizes are 20-foot and 40-foot, plus the 40-foot high cube (40HC). Capacity is measured in TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). People book, stuff or load, seal and release containers.

Example sentences

  1. We need two 40-foot containers for the order, loading on 12 March.

  2. The container was sealed in front of the customs officer.

Common collocations

  • 20-foot container
  • 40HC container
  • container seal
  • load a container
  • reefer container
  • FCLFull Container Load: a shipment in which one shipper uses a whole container, so the container is not shared with other cargo.
  • LCLLess than Container Load: a small shipment that shares a container with other shippers' cargo, usually charged by volume or weight.
  • demurrageA charge the shipping line makes when a container, or a ship, stays in the port longer than the free time allowed.
  • freightGoods carried by ship, plane, truck or train; also the charge paid for carrying them.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Shipping and Transport

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