Types of Container Flows

Containers is a transport as well as a production unit. Once a container has been unloaded, another transport leg must be found as moving an empty container is almost as costly as to move a full container. For long distance trade, three main outcomes are possible:

• Balanced. For this case, total container flows between two partners are almost similar. Thus, for each loaded container being unloaded, there is an opportunity to be loaded with freight for the return leg. This situation is obviously very rare.
• Imbalanced. For this case, there are container flows in only one direction, implying that once a container has been emptied, the return leg is performed without carrying any load. Again, this situation is very rare.
• Hybrid. This situation reflects an environment where due to various reasons, such as differences in the level of industrialization and development, container flows have systematically a level of imbalance, which requires a specific market for the repositioning of empties.