Why do shipping container prices keep changing?

The price on shipping containers is influenced by availability, demand, and other local/international factors.

Shipping container pricing is commonly influenced by the following:

  • Price of steel
  • Labor costs globally
  • Shipping lines’ container retirement policies
  • Local market demand

The prevalence of certain types of shipping containers also influences pricing. For example, 40ft high-cube shipping containers are typically more common than 20ft and 40ft standard containers, as they present a more economical for shippers to use for "low weight, high volume" goods, which make up a majority of the cargo moving around the world today.