ABSTRACT
The growth in global trade and freight distribution has led to the ongoing demand for new containers. China accounts for about 90% of the global production of containers, which is outcome of several factors, particularly its export-oriented economy and lower labor costs. Considering that China has a positive trade balance, notably in manufacturing sector, which highly depends on containerization, it is a logical strategy to have containers manufactured at that location. With the beginning of containerization in the 1970s, a container leasing industry emerged to offer flexibility in managing containerized assets, enabling shipping companies to cope with temporal and geographical fluctuations in demand. The container is the object of digitalization and the diffusion of smart containers that allow for additional information to be made available to carriers, terminal operators, and cargo owners. Small and medium-sized firms are the most likely to use a virtual container yard as they generally have less logistical expertise and available resource to manage containerized assets.
