TEU stands for “Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit” and is the unit for counting container volumes – for ship capacities, port handling and statistics. One 20 ft container = 1 TEU, one 40 ft container = 2 TEU (sometimes also called “FEU”, Forty-foot Equivalent Unit).
For container buyers, TEU is above all a market indicator: Global handling figures and charter rates in TEU show whether many containers are in circulation (prices fall) or whether there is a shortage (prices rise). Prices for used shipping containers in Germany follow these global movements with a delay of a few months.
Current price ranges: How much does a shipping container cost.
Last updated: 8 September 2026 · Editor: Coin Container Team, Hamburg