Container leasing industry investing in support of intermodal transportation
The new containers were then leased to ocean carriers and other parties for use in international trade around the world. In 2007, in which a record 4.2 million teus were manufactured, leasing companies were contracted to supply a similar 1.6 million teus. Ocean carriers, the primary service providers utilizing intermodal containers in global international trade, have historically sourced more than half of their container fleets through direct purchases from container manufacturers, and the balance from container leasing companies. But as many ocean carriers were focused on their core activities in 2010, they contracted with container leasing companies to source a majority of the 2.75 million teus that were added to the world container fleet.