Definition: Twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU)

Category: PRODCOM

Twenty-foot equivalent unit is the key measurement of the cargo carrying capacity of a container ship. One TEU is the standard shipping container that can be seen on the backs of trucks and train carriages, being a steel box with dimensions eight feet six inches square and twenty feet in length. Whilst there may be some variation within that space, for example possibly incorporating a tank for carrying liquids or a refrigerated space, the dimensions of the unit will not vary. Having said this, some routes and ships permit the use of a double-sized box at eight feet six inches square and forty feet in length. This may be referred to as one FEU or "forty foot equivalent unit", or two TEU. http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/coded_files/CGT_first_marine_int_ltd.pdf