Have you noticed all the steel stacked at ports and thought to yourself…huh? Where are containers from, actually? And who makes them?
Well, the vast, VAST majority are not made in the U.S. Or anywhere in North America. Instead, they come from a land far, far away…
Where are containers from?
20′ standard, 40′ standard and 40′ High Cube units are made in China.
Specialized container sizes (e.g. 45′ and 53′ units) are also produced by manufacturers in China.
Then they usually spend some time on the high seas. Unless they’re manufactured for a special project. Or shipped directly as a new (One-Trip) units.
Why are Containers Made in China?
Long story, short: it’s because they produce so much steel. So their steel costs are low.
And containers are made with 100% Corten steel.
So a low cost of steel = low cost of container manufacturing.
You may THINK companies who modify, sell, and rent containers build the physical unit itself.
But that’s not the case.
Most reseller companies only modify or add to shipping containers. (also called portable storage units or storage containers in the industry).
Container manufacturers located in China are the once who produce them.
Who are the Largest Manufacturers?
Here are the top shipping container manufacturers in the world.
- CIMC (China International Marine)
- SINGAMAS (Singamas Holdings Ltd.)
- CXIC (CXIC Group)
- CSCL (China Shipping Lines)
- MCI (Maersk)
- JINDO (Jindo Co., Ltd.)
Can you buy from manufacturers?
Unfortunately, no. You can’t buy directly from container manufacturers unless you’re buying in bulk.
Once built, tested for quality assurance/control, and IICL-certified cargo worthy, shipping containers are then used by international shipping lines and/or sold to global leasing companies as cargo equipment.
Oftentimes, these global suppliers eventually sell them to resellers or other leasing companies.
And then they’re resold, yet again, to you as storage units.
So then what’s the best way to get a container?
With all the changing of hands and fluctuations in marketplace dynamics impacting the market costs at any given time, container companies have historically kept their cost a secret.
And then passed on price markups to the consumer.
That’s THE reason the new online marketplace was created. It takes the middlemen out of the equation.
And provides much-needed transparency for portable/mobile storage owners and renters.
The marketplace connects buyers to suppliers so you can bypass extra markups. AND get insight into pricing trends and what’s actually going on in the industry.
