Shipping Modes
TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit)
A standard measure of container capacity. One 20ft container equals 1 TEU; a 40ft container equals 2 TEU. Used to describe port throughput and vessel capacity.
In depth
TEU is the standard unit for counting container capacity, based on a twenty-foot container. One 20ft container is 1 TEU; one 40ft container is 2 TEU. The measure exists so that vessels, terminals, and trade lanes of different container mixes can be compared on a single scale — a vessel described as 24,000 TEU can carry the equivalent of 24,000 twenty-foot boxes. TEU counts capacity, not weight or value, so a TEU of steel and a TEU of foam are the same unit. FEU, the forty-foot equivalent unit, is sometimes used instead and equals 2 TEU.
Key points
- One 20ft container = 1 TEU; one 40ft container = 2 TEU
- Measures capacity and volume, never weight or value
- Used for vessel size, terminal throughput, and trade lane statistics
- FEU is the forty-foot equivalent and equals 2 TEU