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Magic box
07/28/2025
Both a symbol and a vector of globalisation, the container celebrates its 70th anniversary next year. A look back at an invention that changed the face of logistics.
From Greek amphorae to jute sacks and crates of all kinds, the history of trade is one of long reflection: how can goods be transported easily and at the lowest cost? After some trial and error, it was American entrepreneur Malcolm McLean who developed the modern container – a metal “box” 20 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8.5 feet high, hence its official acronym of TEU (20-foot equivalent unit). The TEU is used as a benchmark to assess the capacity of major international ports: Shanghai, the largest, will handle 49 million TEUs in 2023.