The miniaturization of containerized commodities

Abstract

The miniaturization of commodities can have an impact on international merchandise trade by affecting supply chains and transportation, which must adapt to their shrinking size. In the specific case of containerized goods, the number of containers transported by ships and handled by port terminals is expected to decrease, since a greater number of items will fit into each container at a given freight value.

To test this hypothesis, a preliminary exercise was carried out on the containerized imports of the United States from its main trading partners for the period 2003–2021 to determine which goods may got smaller.