Source: UNCTAD (2000) Review of Maritime Transport.

Global Fleet of Containers, 2000 (in TEUs)

When containerization began, the different sizes and dimensions of containers used by different lines were a source of much confusion in compiling container shipping statistics. As a result, the term TEU was first used by Richard F. Gibney in 1969, who worked for the Shipbuilding & Shipping Record, as a measure of comparison. The 40 footer is the most common container, accounting for two third (66%) of all TEUs, while the 20 footer accounts for 33%. About 85% of the world's containers are made in China, namely because China is a large exporter of manufactured goods. Even if higher container volumes tend to be desirable since they can carry greater quantities of goods, the containerization of commodities, such as grain, indicate that the 20 footer is likely to remain an important intermodal unit. It can carry a full load of 20 tons while larger containers are limited to a maximal load of 28 tons, irrespective of their size.

The total number of containers being used is very difficult to estimate. A approximate figure indicates that there are 3 TEUs of containers available for every TEU of available maritime containership capacity.