China's Container Production Surges to Record 8.1 Million TEUs in 2024, Driving Global Supply Chain Expansion

In 2024, China’s container manufacturing reached an unprecedented 8.1 million TEUs, marking a 268.2% year-over-year increase, according to the latest report released at the 2025 Intermodal Asia exhibition. This record output underscores China’s dominant role in the global container supply chain, now accounting for 96% of worldwide production.

The surge was fueled by global logistics disruptions, including the Red Sea crisis, which prompted shipping lines and leasing companies to stock up on containers. The country’s container industry has strengthened its full-chain ecosystem, covering design, production, and logistics, with major manufacturing hubs in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions.

Standard dry containers made up 91.3% of total output, while refrigerated containers accounted for 3.8%. Despite rising demand, average container prices declined in 2024—dry container prices fell by 15%, and reefer container prices dropped 6.2% year-on-year.

Domestically, China sold 477,000 TEUs, up 35.8%, supported by government policies promoting multimodal transport and logistics cost reductions. Export volumes also rebounded sharply, with container exports rising 135.7% in volume and 105.8% in value, reaching $17.04 billion.

This performance highlights China’s strategic importance in global trade infrastructure and its ability to rapidly scale production in response to international market shifts.