What Causes Container Rain?

From New York to California, the United States has shipping ports and harbors in every major coastal city all over the country. With the Continental U.S. having a coast on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, maritime shipping has established itself as an essential part of the economy and workforce.

The U.S. Maritime industry is one of the largest in the world, second only to China in exports. Since over half of all imported goods are transported by vessel, water transportation contributes roughly $36 billion U.S. dollars and 64 thousand jobs to the U.S. economy annually. The overwhelming majority of goods shipped on vessels are containerized. With so many precious goods and cargo coming by sea in shipping containers, there’s high demand for loss and damage prevention.

Losses

Every year, millions of dollars’ worth of cargo has to be destroyed or thrown out due to moisture damage incurred during transit in shipping containers. Approximately 10% of all containerized goods are discarded due to moisture-related damages. This issue has been a huge problem in the maritime industry for a long time. In a study released by the UK P&I Club, it was reported that 25% of damage is physical and 14% is temperature related.

What is Container Rain?

Have you ever forgotten a water bottle in your car on a hot day? When you get back you see that water droplets have begun to climb up the walls of the bottle. The same process that’s occurring in the water bottle can also happen in shipping containers—on a much larger scale.

Container rain is caused by moisture. Most shipping containers are loaded near the ocean where the air has a higher concentration of water. The moisture in the air gets trapped in the container. As the air in the container settles, the moisture condenses in colder areas of the container. When the container heats up again, the condensed water expands and rises to the top of the container, clinging to the walls and ceiling. The moisture on the walls is known as container sweat.

As temperatures increase, the moisture climbs up the interior of the container before dripping down—this is what is commonly referred to as container rain. Should container rain drip into cargo, moisture-sensitive goods may begin to grow mold, while other cargo can be permanently damaged or destroyed due to warping and corrosion.

International Shipping

When cargo is transported through international supply routes, shipping containers experience radical temperature and climate fluctuation. Temperature change can be caused by the sun going down overnight or an unexpected cold front. This kind of exposure can lead damaged goods. Unless a container is vacuum-sealed, it’s going to trap some moisture inside. If your goods are loaded in a humid or tropical location like Australia or Hong Kong, the increased moisture in the air will get sealed in the container. This will develop into condensation as the crate makes its way to its destination. Even in colder climates like Alaska, moist air can become trapped in the container and cause severe damage. As the crates move further south the dense concentration of water in the air will expand and evaporate. This makes shipping from colder to warmer climates one of the most high-risk and expensive endeavors.

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