China, the Netherlands and Germany were the top suppliers of containers to the U.S. market from January to September 2022, according to Commerce Department data.
At a year-over-year rate, shipments from China in that period grew 104.8%, to $885 million.
These products include tank containers and tank containers, specially designed and equipped for one or more modes of transport.
Meanwhile, corresponding exports from the Netherlands totaled US$40 million (an annual growth of 5 percent) and those from Germany amounted to US$36 million (+39.3 percent).
Within that same classification are 53-foot-long domestic dry containers, which are designed to transport dry goods primarily by rail or road vehicles, or by a combination of both modes.
Some domestic containers are specifically designed for the movement of goods by multiple modes of transportation throughout North America.
Also, some domestic containers are closed on all sides, including the top, and are accessed through lockable double doors at one end.
The length is specified at 53 feet because it is the longest length allowed by U.S. states for use on highways and roads. As a result, domestic containers are used in the North American intermodal freight market.
Suppliers of containers
Domestic containers are «dry» because they are not designed or intended to carry liquids or goods requiring refrigeration.
Also from January to September of this year, other prominent exporters were: France ($18 million, +27.7%), Austria ($16 million, 161%), Canada ($15 million, +44.5%), Switzerland ($13 million, +299%), Japan ($10 million, +42.9%), Mexico ($9 million (-26%) and Poland ($7 million, +68.9%).
Domestic containers have various handles and attachments so that the containers can be lifted and then mounted on various platforms, such as a chassis, a railroad well car, or a ship, for movement.
Some domestic containers are used primarily for road or rail transport.
The product in question is either mounted on a chassis, to be towed by a truck on the highways, or placed on a specially designed rail well car, an operation known as container on flat car (COFC).
In the first nine months of 2022, U.S. container imports totaled $1.079 billion, an increase of 80.6% year-over-year.
