Really, really big boats. This week's Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) Weekly Trade Fact is about the increasing size of container ships.
The new Maersk PS-class container ships, the longest ships currently in service (about 1,300 feet long), can carry 11,000 to 14,500 standard 20 foot containers. The current average for a container ship is about 2,300 containers, but based on current orders for ships the average in 10 years will be 8,000: Container Capacity Has Quadrupled Since 1987 (January 2, 2008). Here's the new Emma Maersk - she only needs a crew of 13:
Maersk Line photo
Note - The 11,000 standard container capacity is the official company capacity estimate, but that is conservative. Other ways of measuring capacity suggest she can carry up to 14,500 standard containers. The Wiki link above discusses this.
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