The Growth in UK Container Freight

Increasing globalisation, specifically China’s role the factory of the world has led to a growth of container traffic into the UK of 55% since 2000.

UK containerised freight traffic 2000-2019

Another interesting change is the reducing usage of 20’ containers, as high cube containers of both 20’ and 40’ varieties. This can be seen in the below table, illustrating the TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) contribution of each type of container.

Type
2000
2018
2019
20 ft
962 (28%)
840 (16%)
816 (16%)
40 ft
2,283 (67%)
3,758 (72%)
3,742 (71%)
Other
143 (4%)
617 (12%)
700 (13%)
Total
3,387
5,215
5,258

It’s also worth noting, given the Covid recession is upon us, the impact of the financial crash in 2008 on trade. What will this look like in five years time?

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Infographic of UK inward container freight traffic 2000-2019

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