International Container Shipping Rates & Costs in 2024 - MoveHub

• The cost of shipping is affected by weight, transport type, distance, and destination
• Sharing shipping containers helps reduce what you spend
• Shipping costs continue to fall, as of October

The cost of shipping a container internationally can range widely and it depends on a number of factors. As a rough estimate, it should cost somewhere between  and to ship a 20ft (TEU) container from one country to another.

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In this article, we’re going to cover all current international container shipping rates and costs, so you have the clearest possible picture of what you might spend. 

Rates always fluctuate though, due to factors such as fuel costs, global supply chain issues, and demand changes, which we’ll explain in detail too.

Looking to move your belongings overseas? Just pop your details into this quick form, and our trusted suppliers will get back to you with their best prices.

If you need some general guidance for your big move, here’s everything you need to do, in one handy checklist.

How much does a shipping container cost?

It isn’t necessary to buy your own shipping container (our suppliers will provide one for you), however some people decide that they can get multiple uses out of one.

A shipping container is not just for shipping; once its career on the sea is over, a container can be used for many things. Arty people have transformed these big steel boxes into mini homes, trendy offices, garden sheds, swimming pools and pop-up cafes. The only limit is your imagination.

The average cost of a new or barely used (i.e. one-trip) 20ft container is around £2,100 ($2,726). Once you start looking at second-hand containers, the price will fall to around £1,250 ($1,622) or below.

If you’re looking to go supersize and get a 40ft container, these cost around £3,750 ($4,864) brand new or barely used, while second-hand containers are about £2,495 ($3,236).

How long will a shipping container last? Well, a container that spends its whole life on the ocean will be useful for about 10-12 years, but let it rest and its lifespan will grow to 25-30 years. Containers are windproof and watertight, but sadly they are not immune to rust.

FCL vs LCL

There are at least 16 different kinds of shipping containers, but luckily there are only two that you need to know about: the 20-foot and the 40-foot. The rest are generally for business-related and industrial moves.

As for FCL vs LCL, well this depends on the volume of goods you want to ship. You may not need to pay for the use of a whole container, so this is where an LCL comes in.

Shipping companies have devised a system for people with smaller amounts of cargo where several customers can share the space of a single container. This is called a ‘Less Than Container Load’ (LCL) or a part-load shipment.

Typically, people who are moving the contents of a one-bedroom flat can opt for LCL, but volumes greater than that will usually require a whole container.

This is called a ‘Full Container Load’ (FCL) or sole-use shipment. It’s a bit like the difference between a private taxi and a bus.

Why choose Full Container Load?

It’s better value. In terms of cost per cubic metre, you get more bang for your buck with an FCL. The shipping company will charge you a flat rate for the use of the container rather than making you pay for the specific volume of your goods.

It’s faster. When you’re sharing a container with other people’s cargo, there’s more waiting involved. Belongings have to be loaded and unloaded at each port and then placed on separate trucks. However, an FCL shipment doesn’t need to be opened until it’s at your new house. The extra time required by LCL can vary, ranging from 4-5 days to a couple of weeks. It all depends on where you’re going and the company you’re shipping with.

Your goods are safer. With all the extra handling, LCL comes with an increased risk. The loading and unloading that happens at each port means that LCL shipments are moved around more often than FCL shipments. Naturally, this puts your belongings at greater risk of being damaged. FCL is much more advisable if you have fragile goods to bring with you.

You can ship a car. If you’re sharing the use of a container with other people, transporting a car is too risky. Cars are very safely secured in shipping containers but they are big and heavy things, meaning there is always the potential for damaging other people’s cargo. FCL is the solution here.

It costs £1,780 ($2,311) on average for a 20ft shipping container, and roughly £2,997 ($3,891) for 40ft containers.

Why choose Less Than Container Load?

It’s the cheapest way to ship small volumes. If you don’t actually have that much stuff to bring with you, it would be silly to hire a whole container. Everything will just rattle around once it starts moving.

LCL is the most cost-effective method for smaller moves and it’s quite common that someone will have only a couple of boxes to bring. Students who are travelling abroad just for a year or so regularly opt for LCL.

However, there is a point where you should switch from LCL to FCL, even if you don’t have enough to fill a container. Shipping companies advise that any shipment over 15 cbm should be sent by FCL, as this is actually more economical.

Another option is to hire part of a FCL, which some companies offer. What they’ll typically do is fill a portion of an FCL with your belongings, then make up the rest of the space with consolidated freight. This is often a more cost-effective method than hiring out an entire container.

It costs around £163 ($212) on average per cbm. This is based on shipping from New York to London.

How big is a 20ft container?

A 20-foot container will typically hold the contents of a three-bedroom house. This means stuff like furniture, beds, fridges, TVs and storage boxes. If you live in a one or two-bedroom house, you might want to consider hiring part of a container instead of a full 20ft or 40ft container. This’ll be more economical.

The actual volume of a 20-foot container is 33 cubic metres (cbm), but in reality there is normally only about 25-28 cbm of usable space. If cbm doesn’t mean anything to you then here are some other ways to visualise the space inside a 20-foot container. It’s about the size of a single garage, and it can hold all this stuff (but not all at once):

• 100 washing machines
• 400 flat-screen TVs
• 200 full-sized mattresses
• 50-60 fridges
• 48,000 bananas
• 10 standard pallets

We’ve also made a nice infographic to show you exactly what can fit inside a 20-foot shipping container. If you’re lucky enough to own five bikes then it turns out you can bring all of them.

How big is a 40ft container?

A 40-foot container will give you double the amount of space as a 20-foot container, but it doesn’t come at twice the price. 40-foot containers are definitely better value for money if you have a lot of stuff to bring. Houses with four (or more) bedrooms will most likely need a 40-foot container, unless you have one of those trendy minimalist homes that doesn’t have much furniture.

Can’t leave your trusty four-wheels behind? When it comes to shipping a car, the 20-foot container is big enough but it won’t leave a lot of room for other cargo. Therefore, if you want to bring your car along with the contents of your household then you’ll most likely need a 40-foot container. Here’s our guide to shipping cars.

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The 40-foot container technically contains 67 cbm of space, although only about 54-58 cbm ends up being usable. If you want another visual aid, just double the numbers we gave you for the 20-foot container. Here’s another funky purple infographic to show you how much can fit inside a 40-foot container:

Sea freight or air freight?

Choice of transport is another big factor when it comes to international shipping costs. It’s all about balancing your priorities.

What’s more important to you, getting your things shipped as quickly as possible or keeping costs down? Moving your belongings by sea and by air are the two most popular options for international moves.

Why choose sea freight?

Sea freight is low cost. On average, sea freight is five to six times cheaper than air freight, according to the Freightos. For instance, shipping the contents of a one-bedroom flat from the UK to Australia by sea costs around . Ship the same contents by air and you’re looking at a bill of around . See our price comparison table below for more details.

Container ships are the most eco-friendly option. In contrast to air or road transport, ships on the ocean release the lowest amount of carbon emissions.

Why choose air freight?

Cargo planes are faster. If you’re in a hurry to ship your belongings, transporting them by air is the fastest method of shipping. Between any two global destinations, it will usually take about one to three days. Compare this with a container ship’s journey from the UK to Australia, which takes on average 32 days. The ocean is a big place and a ship full of thousands of steel containers can only go so fast (about 23 mph).

When shipping internationally by sea, and having enough goods to fill up a whole container, a FCL shipment will be your most indicated option. The most commonly used type of shipping containers are named “Dry Storage Containers”. They come in different dimensions, standardized by ISO, with two main sizes: 20ft and 40ft container. Also known as general-purpose containers, they can store almost any kind of cargo from boxes, barrels, pallets, to vehicles and heavy equipment.

20ft and 40ft containers not only differ in terms of size, but maximum loading weight, usage, and cost. Depending on what your shipping requirements are, you will also find various other types of containers, from refrigerated to specialty containers, available in different shapes and sizes.

That is why you must pay special attention to the type and size of container selected for your shipment, as it not only helps ensure the safety of your freight but can also impact your budget.

Understanding Standard 20ft vs 40ft Container

Most companies only offer 20ft and 40ft containers. So, let’s first take a closer look at these two sizes of containers, how they are used, and how much cargo can fit in.

About Steel Containers and ISO Standards

Most shipping containers used today are made from steel or aluminum. They come with corrugated walls, hinged doors (on one, both, or all sides), and are welded to the end frames and rails.

They are required to meet certain standards and ISO requirements. The standard for these containers is ISO :. This identification system gives each container a specific or unique marking. This code, however, can be broken into more parts: an ISO (BIC) code, a size code, and a type code, with the option to add additional markings.

Standard 20ft & 40ft Container Dimensions

40ft containers are also called Forty-foot Equivalent Units (or FEUs for short) and 20ft containers Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). While their dimensions or size greatly differ, they offer the same level of strength.

20 feet Container Dimensions:

• Length: 19’4″ / 5.89m.
• Width: 7’9″ / 2.35m.
• Height: 7’10” / 2.39m.
• Tare weight: 4,894 lbs / 2,220 kg.
• Payload capacity: 48,171 lbs / 21,850 kg.
• Cubic capacity: 1,170 ft³ / 33.2 m³.

40 feet Container Dimensions:

• Length: 39’6″ / 12.03m.
• Width: 7’9″ / 2.35m.
• Height: 7’10” / 2.39m.
• Tare weight: 8,245 lbs / 3,740 kg.
• Payload capacity: 58,996 lbs / 26,760 kg.
• Cubic capacity: 2,391 ft³ / 67.7 m³.

*All dimensions are internal. 20ft and 40ft container dimensions can vary slightly by steamship line and manufacture.

High Cube Containers Options

Those who want more space can go for a high cube container. These are similar to standard steel containers but taller. They offer a maximum height of 9’6″ or 8.96m.

High cube containers are available in both 20ft and 40ft sizes. You may also find some high cube containers that are 45′ long.

How Much Can I Fit in a 20ft vs a 40ft Container?

A 40’ container can fit more than twice what a 20’ container can fit:

• In a 20ft Container
  A 20ft container can hold a total of 11 Euro-Pallets (1.2m x 0.8m), or up to 10 standard pallets in one-tier.
• In a 40ft Container
  A 20ft container can hold a total of 24 Euro-Pallets (1.2m x 0.8m), or up to 21 standard pallets in one-tier.

How to Choose Between 20′ and 40′? 3 Things to Keep in Mind

Loading space is not the only factor to consider when selecting the size of your container. If you want to make a budget-friendly, transport-efficient decision, there are some facts that you have to take into consideration.

1. Cost

The first fact to consider is that 20ft containers are not more cost-efficient than 40ft containers. Contrary to popular belief, a 20ft does not cost half of a 40ft. The usual price for a 20ft container is around 75% of a 40ft container. There can be some ways to save money based on what you are shipping and where. Get in touch with us today to get a quote.

2. Loading & Storage

Bigger containers offer more space, that is why you should consider your storage and loading requirements when choosing a shipping container. As a rule, when shipping pallets in a container, we strongly suggest loading them in one row along the container’s length and another row along the width. Pallets can be easily stacked. However, if the merchandise is heavy, stacking may not always be recommended, which may change your container size requirements.

To efficiently use your containers, you need to carefully consider the volume and the height of your cargo. To accommodate bigger or taller items, you may choose a high cube container. It increases height by 27cm, adding up to a total extra volume of 9 cbm. The extra height offered could save you from having to book an additional shipment.

3. Weight vs Volume

Each container is designed to carry specific cargo based on factors such as weight to volume ratio and weight distribution. If you plan on shipping heavy loads, keep in mind that you may not be able to utilize all the available space of the container.

This is one of the reasons why 20′ containers are more suitable to transport dense items and heavy cargo such as machinery, metals, cement, and sugar.  And it might not be the best option for voluminous cargo due to limited space.

For such shipments as furniture or steel pipes, a 40′ container is usually the best option. A 40’ container cannot handle twice the amount of weight a 20’ container can; however, it can fit more than double the volume.

Here’s a generic example for a better understanding:

• a 20′ container can pack up to 1.53 m³ of cargo for every ton of weight.  Up to 21.85 tons of cargo can be loaded on a 20′ container that offers only 33.50 m³ of cargo space.
• a 40′ container can pack up to 2.53 m³ of cargo for every ton of weight. Only 26.76 tons of cargo can be loaded on a 40′ container that offers up to 67.70 m³ of cargo space.

20ft vs 40ft Container? What About Other Options?

Technically speaking, a 40ft container is almost always a better option as it offers more space, but that is not the only benefit. There can be loading and timing issues with 20ft containers as they can run some delays when sent by train or truck to reach the cargo vessel. 20ft containers are usually mounted on the rail by pairs.

Do not forget that in some cases, dry storage containers may not be possible to use if you have specific requirements for your cargo: temperature-regulated containers or open-top containers for specific goods. These containers are available in different sizes and are suitable for specific products.

For more information, please take a look at our Container Types Guide.

When shipping containers overseas, make sure to choose your freight forwarder carefully since their expertise and knowledge will directly affect the effectiveness of your business.

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