7.5   Container production
It is even clearer from the data on annual container production (see Table 6) how dominant high-cube 40' containers are. In 2004, they made up 82% of the global production of TEUs.
 
Year 20' Integral 40' Integral 40'
HighCube
Integral
Porthole
(Conair /
insulated)
Total
1990 11,500 17,000 14,500 4,000 47,000
1991 5,000 8,500 16,000 4,000 33,500
1992 10,000 17,500 24,000 10,500 62,000
1993 12,000 13,000 28,500 4,500 58,000
1994 10,500 13,000 40,000 2,500 66,000
1995 12,500 17,000 50,500 1,000 81,000
1996 11,000 6,500 61,000 500 79,000
1997 11,000 6,500 73,000 500 91,000
1998 10,000 7,000 76,500 500 94,000
1999 11,000 4,500 74,000 500 90,000
2000 9,500 2,500 88,000 1,000 101,000
2001 9,500 500 86,000 1,000 101,000
2002 16,000 300 97,500 1,200 115,000
2003 11,000 200 122,500 1,300 135,000
2004 10,500 200 132,000 2,300 145,000

All figures in TEU
Source: World Cargo News June 2004
Table 6:
Annual production of refrigerated containers from 1990-2004
by size and type

 
 
Year Annual production Added to
fleet
Replaced in
fleet
Fleet size
at the
end of the year
1990 43,000 35,000 8,000 294,000
1991 29,500 23,000 6,500 317,000
1992 51,500 46,000 5,500 363,000
1993 53,500 48,000 5,500 411,000
1994 63,500 55,000 8,500 466,000
1995 80,000 60,000 20,000 526,000
1996 78,500 52,000 26,500 578,000
1997 90,500 68,000 22,500 646,000
1998 93,500 67,000 26,500 713,000
1999 89,500 65,000 24,500 778,000
2000 100,000 70,000 30,500 848,000
2001 96,000 67,000 29,000 915,000
2002 113,800 71,000 42,800 986,000
2003 133,700 57,000 76,700 1,043.000
2004 142,700 78,500 64,200 1,121.500

All figures in TEU
Source: World Cargo News June 2004
Table 7:
Production, increase in stock and replacement of integral refrigerated containers from 1990-2004

 
 
The figures on the requirements for replacing container stock (Table 7) are also of interest. They show a very substantial requirement to replace stock has developed since 1994. This reflects the fact that containers built at the beginning of the 1980s have come to the end of their 12 to 15 year working life. It can therefore be assumed that the requirements for replacing stock will increase even further in the future.
 
Table 8 shows container production and present production capacity by region. The excess capacity in China is particularly noticeable. This excess capacity has led to a dramatic drop in the price of refrigerated containers and a decline in production capacity in other regions. Refrigerated containers are as a result no longer manufactured in the USA, Japan and even South Korea.
 
Region Production in
1995
Production in
1996
Production in
1997
Production in
1998
Production in
1999
Production in
2000
South Korea 46,450 38,000 34,200 34,500 35,800 27,500
China 400 4,900 20,500 24,500 31,100 52,000
Japan 11,350 7,400 6,500 3,700 - -
Taiwan 10,500 5,000 4,500 - - -
Mexico 2,500 10,500 6,300 6,000 6,200 -
USA 3,000 3,500 6,500 6,200 1,600 -
Europe 5,500 8,800 12,000 17,000 14,400 21,000
Other 300 400 - 2,100 900 500
Total 80,000 78,500 90,500 94,000 90,000 101,000


Region Production in
2001
Production in
2002
Production in
2003
Production in
2004
Current
production
capacity
(2004)*
South Korea 2,700 - - - -
China 72,700 94,400 115,000 127,500 165,000
Japan - - - - -
Taiwan - - - - -
Mexico - - - - -
USA - - - - -
Europe 21,000 20,000 19,500 17,000 20,000
Other 600 600 500 500 2,000
Total 97,000 115,000 135,000 145,000 187,000


All figures in TEU
*Based on multiple-shift operation
Source: World Cargo News June 2004

Table 8: Production of refrigerated containers by region 1995-2004
 
 

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