![The Optimal Size of a Container Ship | Port Economics, Management and Policy](https://i0.wp.com/porteconomicsmanagement.org/wp-content/uploads/optimal_ship_size.png?resize=900%2C423&ssl=1)
Scale increases in container vessel size are a well-documented and much-debated topic. The search for economies of scale and the focus on cost control has pushed the container shipping industry towards the deployment of ever-larger containerships. The introduction of ever-larger container vessels of up to 24,000 TEU has resulted in an overall upscaling across the main east-west trade routes, with slightly smaller vessels cascading to north-south routes.