Which goods can be shipped in containers by sea?

What kinds of cargo can be shipped by container?

Container shipping is known for standardization and high efficiency, but not all cargo is suitable for loading into standard containers. Determining whether cargo is suitable for container shipping and choosing the appropriate container type directly affect transport safety and the risk of cargo damage. This article outlines the types of cargo suitable and unsuitable for container shipping, as well as container type selection for common cargo.

1. Cargo Suitable for Container Shipping

According to China's "Regulations on Several Issues Concerning the Development of Container Transport," there are twelve major categories of cargo suitable for container transport: electrical and communication equipment, instruments, small machinery, glass and ceramics, handicrafts, printed matter and paper, medicine, tobacco, alcohol and food, daily necessities, chemical products, knitwear and textiles, and small hardware.

Most conventional industrial products and consumer goods can be transported by container sea freight, and only a few special goods are unsuitable.

2. Goods Unsuitable for Container Shipping

• Live and fresh goods: such as live fish, live shrimp, etc. Sea transport takes a relatively long time, and live and fresh goods are prone to spoilage in transit, making them generally unsuitable for standard container shipping.
• Overweight goods: Goods whose weight exceeds the maximum load capacity of a container cannot be shipped by container sea transport.
• Oversized goods: Goods that exceed container dimensions in height or width (e.g., large equipment parts) can only be transported by stowing in the holds of a breakbulk vessel or on deck.
• Military transport: Containers are generally not used for military transport; if military units or military industrial enterprises arrange container sea transport, it is handled as commercial transport; self-provided containers used for military transport are no longer handled under container transport conditions.

3. Precautions for Container Loading

• Dry cargo should not be mixed with wet cargo to prevent moisture damage and mildew; desiccants may be added to cargo requiring high dryness.
• Normal cargo should not be mixed with strongly odorous or irritating cargo as much as possible, to prevent odor contamination affecting quality.
• Try not to mix with powdery cargo; powdery cargo is less stable during transport, and loading separately can reduce risks.
• Dangerous goods must never be mixed with each other—different dangerous goods have different properties and emergency response measures, and mixing may cause secondary hazards.
• Cargo with different packaging should be loaded separately for convenient transport and handling.

4. Common Cargo and Container Type Selection

Selecting the appropriate container based on the nature, type, volume, weight, and shape of the cargo is a prerequisite for ensuring the safety of the ship, cargo, and container. The common correspondences are as follows:

• Clean cargo, dirty cargo: general cargo container, ventilated container, open-top container, refrigerated container;
• Valuable cargo, fragile cargo: general cargo container;
• Refrigerated cargo, perishable cargo: refrigerated container, ventilated container, insulated container;
• Bulk cargo: bulk container, tank container;
• Animals, plants: livestock (animal) container, ventilated container;
• Heavy cargo: open-top container, flat rack container, platform container;
• Dangerous goods: general cargo container, flat rack container, refrigerated container.

In container shipping, scientifically selecting the container type according to cargo characteristics and loading in a standardized manner are key to avoiding cargo damage and ensuring transport safety.

Further reading: Complete Guide to Domestic Shipping Containers for container parameters and selection; Guide to Domestic Shipping Booking Operations for the booking process; Comparison of Domestic and Foreign Trade Shipping for applicable scope.

Container Shipping Cargo Suitability FAQ

Q: What cargo is not suitable for container shipping by sea?

A: Fresh live goods (such as live fish and live shrimp, which may spoil during long ocean transit), cargo exceeding the container's maximum weight capacity, oversized, overheight, and overwide items beyond the container dimensions, as well as special cases such as military transport, are generally not suitable for standard container shipping.

Q: What containers are used for refrigerated perishable goods?

A: Refrigerated containers, ventilated containers, or insulated containers may be used; when low-temperature transport is required, refrigerated containers (such as 40RH) are preferred, with the specific temperature set according to the shipper's requirements.

Bofeng Logistics provides professional one-stop logistics services including domestic container shipping, international shipping (FCL/LCL), Hong Kong and Macau logistics dedicated lines, as well as trailer, customs clearance, and warehousing. Contact: 130-7567-8958 (Manager Huang), call now to get a customized quote!

Disclaimer: This article was compiled by the Bofeng Logistics team and verified as of August 2026. Domestic sea freight routes, schedules, container availability and pricing policies may change with market conditions and carrier requirements; always refer to the current terms published by the carrier or logistics provider for your booking.