TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit)

What is a TEU?

A TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) is a measure of volume in units of twenty-foot long containers. For example, large container ships are able to transport more than 18,000 TEU (a few can even carry more than 21,000 TEU).

One 20-foot container equals one TEU. Two TEUs equal one FEU.

Why does the industry use TEU?

TEU gives carriers, ports, and analysts one unit to compare container volume across container sizes. Port throughput, vessel capacity, and trade volumes all appear in TEU, which lets you compare a small terminal with a large one.

A 40-foot container counts as 2 TEU, and a 40-foot high cube also counts as 2 TEU even though it holds more cargo. A 20-foot container holds about 33 CBM. TEU counts containers, so two TEU of dense steel and two TEU of light furniture count the same. Carriers usually quote freight rates per container, not per TEU.

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