20ft Shipping Container
Approx. 33.2 m³
The standard 6.06 m ISO dry container: 33.2 m³ of volume, up to 28 t of payload, and the easiest size to move by road almost anywhere in the world.
Region
Shipping Containers for South American Buyers
Supply from European depots to South American ports, with reefer and specialist equipment the most common requirement.
- New & used
- Single & bulk orders
- Named destination port
- Delivered pricing
South American enquiries skew towards temperature-controlled and specialist equipment more than any other region, reflecting the agricultural export economies on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Reefers, insulated units and flat racks make up a larger share of demand than plain dry boxes.
Commercially, the structure is the same as any overseas supply: quoted on Incoterms to a named port, with destination-side costs clearly on the buyer's side of the line unless expressly included.
Reefer and insulated equipment
Where the requirement is temperature-controlled, be specific about whether you need working machinery or an insulated shell. A working reefer and a non-operating unit are different products at very different prices, and the difference is not visible in a photograph.
For working units, ask what inspection record accompanies the container. Availability of that documentation varies by unit and by depot, so it is confirmed on the specific offer rather than promised in advance.
Documentation and import requirements
Import regimes vary considerably across the continent and several require certification arranged before shipment. State your import requirements at RFQ stage; certificates that must exist before the vessel sails cannot be produced afterwards.
Ports commonly named on South American enquiries
- Atlantic coast — Santos, Paranaguá, Rio Grande, Buenos Aires, Montevideo
- Caribbean coast — Cartagena, Barranquilla, Puerto Cabello
- Pacific coast — Callao, San Antonio, Valparaíso, Guayaquil
How supply and shipment are put together
Overseas supply separates into two questions that are often confused: which container you are buying, and how it reaches the destination you named.
Destination
You name the discharge port or the inland destination, and the specification.
Supply option
Suitable availability is assessed against that destination and against what can actually be booked to it, which is not always the nearest source of stock.
Shipment
Ocean freight on agreed Incoterms, with the responsibilities on each side written down before anything moves.
Quotation
Container, origin handling and freight to the agreed point, with destination charges identified rather than buried.
Buying a container and shipping cargo in it are two different transactions
A container bought as equipment and a container booked as freight are not the same movement, and conflating them is where overseas enquiries usually go wrong. Tell us which one you need. If the unit is to carry your cargo on the same voyage, that changes the condition requirement, the CSC position and the booking — and it is far cheaper to establish before the quotation than after it.
Containers supplied to South America
Specialist types
New or used
Both are supplied to every market we quote. The choice is about what the container has to do once it arrives.
New / one trip
- Appearance matters at the destination
- Long-term ownership is intended
- The unit will be converted or modified
- Recent production is preferred
Used
- Storage is the primary purpose
- Budget is the deciding factor
- Cosmetic condition is secondary
- Cargo worthy or wind and watertight meets the requirement
What decides an overseas quotation
Four variables carry most of the cost and nearly all of the risk of a surprise.
Discharge port
The named destination port, which determines the routing, the sailing options and a large part of the freight cost.
Incoterm
Where our responsibility ends and yours begins. This decides who pays destination handling, and it is worth agreeing explicitly.
Destination charges
Terminal handling, documentation and any local charges at discharge. We identify them rather than leaving them to arrive later.
Inland leg
Delivery beyond the port is a separate arrangement in most markets, and is quoted as such where it can be arranged at all.
European logistics gateways
Major container gateways that may be relevant to supply or to international logistics, depending on the transaction. Listing a port here says where equipment concentrates in this trade — it is not a statement that we operate there.
Port delivery options- Hamburg
- Rotterdam
- Antwerp
How a gateway fits the movement
- Supply point
- Road or terminal move
- Gateway port
- Ocean freight
- Destination
What we need in order to quote
Five things. A named destination port is worth more than any other single line on an overseas enquiry.
Container
Quantity
Destination
Terms
Commercial
Frequently asked questions
Do you supply reefer containers to South America?
Yes, both working reefers and non-operating insulated units. Specify which you need on the RFQ — the price difference between them is very large.
What Incoterms do you quote for South America?
Normally EXW, FOB, CFR or CIF depending on how much of the movement you want us to arrange. The quotation states which costs sit with which party rather than leaving it implied.