Following a contraction in output of newbuild 20ft shipping containers in 2021, ordering has recovered strongly this year, and contrary to popular opinion UK consultancy Drewry expects its share of the global container equipment fleet to remain above 25% for the foreseeable future.
Although the standard 20ft dry freight container has seen its share of the global equipment pool decline over the past decade, Drewry said in a new report it believes its role in the fleet is secure.
In the first eight months of the year manufacturers based in China, which account for over 96% of global output, produced close to 500,000 teu, which was up almost 64% year-on-year and 35% on the corresponding period in 2020. Drewry expects output for the full year to total at least 900,000 teu, up from just below 560,000 teu in 2021.
Drewry expects the 20ft container’s share of the fleet to remain stable over the next five years with the unit accounting for at least 26% of standard dry containers in service.
