International container shipping refers to a mode of transport whereby the carrier

regularly delivers, through containers, the cargoes consigned by the shipper

from one country to another between fixed ports of call, along fixed routes, and

in accordance with the pre-established sailing schedules and rules. Container

ships carry virtually all types of break-bulk cargo other than dry bulk goods,

petroleum products, and special goods, and serve various economic sectors

and industries, thus having a far-reaching impact on the national economy.

In April 1956, Malcolm McLean, an American truck businessman, converted a

T-2 Ideal-X tanker dubbed Maxton to transport 58 large containers on the deck

from Newark to Houston. The three-month trial generated tremendous economic

benefits, demonstrating the superiority of container shipping. In October 1957,

McLean’s Sea-Land company converted six C-2 break-bulk cargo ships into

cellular container ships. The first of this kind vessel was the 90,000 DWT

Gateway City, which equipped with its own set of gantry cranes and carrying

226 35-foot containers, sailed on its maiden voyage from Newark for Houston,

marking the start of container shipping.

The period between 1966 and 1983 was critical for container adoption across

the world. International container shipping, especially maritime transport, grew

rapidly in these years as its advantages were increasingly recognized due to

rising global trade, a substantially larger share of container cargoes, and better

port facilities. The container shipping industry matured and finally became a

key pillar for global trade after 1984, amid changing global industry distribution,

booming global trade, and improving legal frameworks.

In China, container shipping started off between 1973 and 1978, expanded

after 1990, and experienced exponential growth after 2001, when the country

was admitted to WTO. An essential part of China’s container shipping market,

Shanghai recorded a container throughput of more than 47.30 million TEU in

2022, topping the world list for 13 consecutive years.

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