NZ Shipping Container Price Index, October 2026
Median asking prices for new and used shipping containers in New Zealand, built from 137 published prices collected on 12 October 2026. Every figure is shown incl. and excl. GST, with the number of data points behind it, published hire rates and a full method note.
Backed by the team behind Shipping-Containers.com.au
Headline figures
October 2026 at a glance
20ft new or one-trip: $4,830 incl. GST
Median $4,830 incl. GST ($4,200 excl. GST) from 51 data points, the largest bucket in the index. The middle half of listings sat between $4,590 and $5,290 incl. GST ($3,991 to $4,600 excl. GST). North Island median $4,830 (35 points), South Island median $4,795 (15 points).
20ft used, B grade: $3,680 incl. GST
Median $3,680 incl. GST ($3,200 excl. GST) for used 20ft containers sold as wind and watertight or B grade, from 15 data points. Interquartile range $2,990 to $4,000 incl. GST ($2,600 to $3,478 excl. GST).
20ft high cube new: $5,395 incl. GST
Median $5,395 incl. GST ($4,691 excl. GST) from 13 data points. Interquartile range $4,999 to $5,848 incl. GST ($4,347 to $5,085 excl. GST). That is about $565 above the median for a standard height new 20ft.
40ft high cube new: $6,999 to $10,595 incl. GST
Only four priced listings, so we show a range rather than a median. Three of the four sat between $6,999 and $7,395 incl. GST ($6,086 to $6,430 excl. GST). No new 40ft standard height container had a published NZ price in October 2026.
20ft hire: $145 a month median
Six published on-site hire rates for a 20ft from five suppliers ran from $90 to $276 a month, median $145 a month, with GST excluded or not stated. Delivery and pick-up are charged on top. Published 40ft rates ran from $129 to $260 a month.
What the October 2026 index shows
A new or one-trip 20ft container is the most widely advertised unit in New Zealand, and its price is now well defined: half of all 51 asking prices fell inside a band of $700, between $4,590 and $5,290 incl. GST. The cheapest new 20ft was $3,990 incl. GST for a new build with a slight dent in Auckland. Without that unit, the lowest asking prices were $4,230 to $4,395 incl. GST, seen in Waikato, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, Christchurch and Auckland. The highest new 20ft prices, $5,395 to $6,325 incl. GST, came from Hastings, Invercargill, Wanaka and one supplier webshop. See our guide to new and one-trip shipping containers for what those labels mean.
Used 20ft containers sold as wind and watertight or B grade had a median of $3,680 incl. GST, about $1,150 below the new median. The used bucket is wider than the new one because sellers describe condition in their own words, from ex-hire and ex-lease units to private resales of near-new boxes. Units sold as-is (C or D grade) started at $1,495 incl. GST, but there were only three of them. Our second-hand container guide explains what each grade usually covers.
All prices in the tables below are asking prices ex yard. None of the 137 data points includes delivery. For the cost of getting a container to your section, farm or site, use the delivery examples further down and our guide to shipping container transport costs in NZ.
| Size and condition | Data points (n) | Range incl. GST | Median incl. GST | Median excl. GST | Range excl. GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8ft new or one-trip (cut-down) | 3 | $4,250 to $4,700 | Range only | Range only | $3,696 to $4,087 |
| 10ft new or one-trip (incl. cut-downs) | 7 | $4,200 to $6,095 | $4,995 | $4,343 | $3,652 to $5,300 |
| 20ft standard, new or one-trip | 51 | $3,990 to $6,325 | $4,830 | $4,200 | $3,470 to $5,500 |
| 20ft standard, used wind and watertight or B grade | 15 | $2,200 to $5,578 | $3,680 | $3,200 | $1,913 to $4,850 |
| 20ft standard, used as-is (C or D grade) | 3 | $1,495 to $3,220 | Range only | Range only | $1,300 to $2,800 |
| 20ft high cube, new or one-trip | 13 | $4,850 to $7,800 | $5,395 | $4,691 | $4,217 to $6,783 |
| 20ft high cube, used as-is (C grade) | 1 | $3,278 | Single price | Single price | $2,850 |
| 40ft standard, new | 0 | No published price | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 40ft standard, used wind and watertight or B grade | 4 | $3,500 to $5,060 | Range only | Range only | $3,043 to $4,400 |
| 40ft standard, used as-is | 1 | $4,945 | Single price | Single price | $4,300 |
| 40ft high cube, new or one-trip | 4 | $6,999 to $10,595 | Range only | Range only | $6,086 to $9,213 |
| 40ft high cube, used wind and watertight or B grade | 3 | $3,000 to $6,595 | Range only | Range only | $2,609 to $5,735 |
| 40ft high cube, used as-is (C grade) | 2 | $4,025 to $6,095 | Range only | Range only | $3,500 to $5,300 |
| Bucket | n | Q1 incl. GST | Median incl. GST | Q3 incl. GST | Q1 to Q3 excl. GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard, new or one-trip | 51 | $4,590 | $4,830 | $5,290 | $3,991 to $4,600 |
| 20ft standard, used wind and watertight or B grade | 15 | $2,990 | $3,680 | $4,000 | $2,600 to $3,478 |
| 20ft high cube, new or one-trip | 13 | $4,999 | $5,395 | $5,848 | $4,347 to $5,085 |
| Type and condition | n | Range incl. GST | Median incl. GST | Range excl. GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft side-opening or open side | 12 | $9,188 to $13,795 | $11,122 | $7,990 to $11,996 |
| 40ft high cube with multiple side doors | 7 | $12,975 to $25,000 | $15,950 | $11,283 to $21,739 |
| 20ft reefer, used, operational | 2 | $5,520 to $10,195 | Range only | $4,800 to $8,865 |
| 20ft reefer, used, status not stated | 1 | $5,694 | Single price | $4,951 |
| 20ft reefer, non-operational | 2 | $3,680 to $5,001 | Range only | $3,200 to $4,349 |
| 40ft reefer, used, operational | 1 | $20,000 | Single price | $17,391 |
| 40ft reefer, used, status not stated | 2 | $8,625 to $20,000 | Range only | $7,500 to $17,391 |
| 40ft reefer, non-operational | 3 | $4,255 to $4,999 | Range only | $3,700 to $4,347 |
Reading the data
Three patterns behind the numbers
Small units
A 10ft costs about the same as a new 20ft
Most 8ft and 10ft containers in New Zealand are cut down from a 20ft box, then fitted with a new end wall. The cutting and welding adds cost, so a new 10ft (median $4,995 incl. GST) is priced slightly above a new 20ft (median $4,830 incl. GST). Buy a small unit because the site needs it, not to save money. Our 10ft container page covers where they fit.
40ft supply
New 40ft stock is mostly high cube
No new 40ft standard height container had a published NZ price on 12 October 2026. This matches factory reports that 2026 output is concentrated in 40ft high cube units. If you need a new 40ft, expect to be quoted a high cube; see 40ft high cube containers for the extra 30 cm of height you get.
Grades
Condition labels are not standardised
NZ sellers use B grade, weatherproof, watertight, tidy, ex-lease and ex-hire for overlapping things. We assign each listing to a bucket using the seller’s own words, which is why the used range is wide. Before you compare two used prices, read our explanation of shipping container grades and ask each seller for photos of the actual unit.
| Hire type and size | Published rates | Range per month | Median per month | GST basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft, on-site hire | 6 rates from 5 suppliers | $90 to $276 | $145 | Excl. GST or not stated |
| 40ft, on-site hire | 3 rates from 2 suppliers | $129 to $260 | Range only | Excl. GST |
| 10ft, on-site hire | 1 supplier ($3.73 a day) | About $113 | Single rate | Excl. GST |
| 20ft, storage at a supplier yard or facility | 3 suppliers | $217 to $274 excl. GST ($249 to $315 incl. GST) | Range only | Both shown |
Hire rates and terms
Hire suppliers publish far fewer prices than sellers do. Of the hire pages we reviewed, five published a monthly or daily rate for on-site hire of a 20ft. The lowest rates, $90 to $92 a month, came from a national supplier quoting $90 a month for a standard grade 20ft and from a hire company charging $3.04 a day excl. GST with a 12-month minimum term. Newer containers cost more to hire: one supplier with yards in Auckland and Waikato listed used 20ft units from $120 and new units from $175 a month plus GST.
Minimum terms vary widely. Published minimums ranged from a minimum charge of one month at an Auckland hire yard, through two months at a national supplier, to 12 months at another. Weekly rates are rarely published; the only supplier weekly figure we found was $75 a week for a 20ft in Northland. Several large hire fleets publish no rates and quote each enquiry. Our shipping container hire guide explains what to ask, and our hire vs buy break-even analysis uses these medians to show when buying becomes cheaper.
Delivery: published examples
No NZ supplier or transport operator we checked publishes a per-kilometre rate or a swinglift tariff online as of 12 October 2026. Delivery is quoted per address. The figures below are the published examples we found, not a rate card, and two of them are from 2024. Check our delivery and site access guide before you ask for a delivered price.
| Source | Destination or area | Published figure | GST basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seller A | Within Auckland | $300 | Not stated |
| Seller A | Hamilton | $500 | Not stated |
| Seller A | Thames | $500 | Not stated |
| Seller A | Tauranga | $950 | Not stated |
| Seller A | Kerikeri | $1,100 | Not stated |
| Hire yard B | West Auckland, North Shore, central Auckland | From $360 | Excl. GST |
| Hire yard B | Further afield | $160 per hour from the yard | Excl. GST |
Market drivers
What is moving NZ container prices in 2026
Exchange rate
A weaker New Zealand dollar
New containers are built in China and paid for in US dollars. The NZD was at US$0.5601 on 12 October 2026, down about 3.1% over the month and about 2.3% over the year, near its lowest level since November 2025 according to Trading Economics currency data. In early June 2026 it had fallen from 0.597 to 0.579 in a single week. A lower dollar raises the landed NZD cost of every new box.
Freight
Higher freight rates into New Zealand
China to NZ rates rose about 30% for a 20ft and 15% for a 40ft from March to April 2026, after fuel surcharges of up to US$200 a container. By August 2026 ocean spot rates to NZ were at an 18-month high, about 40% above a year earlier, with further increases of US$200 to US$500 a container announced by major lines. The global Drewry World Container Index eased to US$4,351 per 40ft on 8 October 2026.
Factory prices
Stable or lower factory prices
Container manufacturer CIMC reported dry container sales of 1.1385 million TEU in the first half of 2026, up 1.12%, with revenue held back by a year-on-year decline in standard container prices. It said prices had stabilised. Output is concentrated in 40ft high cube units. Chinese hot-rolled steel rose 1.9% in the last week of August 2026, a small upward signal.
Our reading, which is interpretation rather than data: factory prices for standard boxes eased in the first half of 2026, while inbound freight to NZ and a weaker NZD both raised the landed cost of new containers. Converted at US$0.5601, the NZ new 20ft median of $4,200 excl. GST equals about US$2,350.
Then and now: 2017 compared with 2026
A June 2017 price guide from an NZ supplier listed new 20ft containers at $3,750 to $4,000 excl. GST and new 40ft high cubes at $6,400 to $6,950 excl. GST, both ex yard. The October 2026 new 20ft median of $4,200 excl. GST sits about 5 to 12% above that 2017 range. The three mainstream new 40ft high cube listings, $6,086 to $6,430 excl. GST, sit at or slightly below the 2017 range. Used 20ft prices are not comparable in the same way, because the 2026 used bucket mixes B grade, ex-lease and private resale units.
How NZ prices compare with Australia and Europe
Two sister sites publish related monthly indexes. The Australian shipping container price index, built from 660 verified prices, is the closest comparison for trans-Tasman buyers; compare its excl. GST figures with ours after converting the currency on the day. For Europe, the monthly Containerbasis container price index for Germany, Austria and Switzerland (in German) shows prices in euro. Sales taxes differ between the three markets, so compare excl. GST and excl. VAT figures only.
Methodology
Data sources
The index uses 137 published asking prices. 112 data points (82%) are Trade Me listings in the Shipping containers category, from at least 10 identified trade sellers plus listings where the seller was not named and three private sellers. 25 data points come from four NZ supplier websites that publish prices, including one clearance page labelled “Updated August 2026”. Seven data points are prices published for units already marked as sold, which are the closest the sample gets to transaction prices. Hire rates come from supplier hire pages and delivery figures from two supplier publications. Market context comes from currency, freight and manufacturer reports cited in the sources list.
Dates
All prices were read on 12 October 2026 (NZDT). Trade Me category pages 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of 7 were read; page 4 did not load. Individual listings were opened to verify GST wording. Live listings had closing dates from 13 October to 11 November 2026.
Inclusion rules
- A price enters the index only if the seller states both size and condition (new or one-trip, used wind and watertight or B grade, or as-is C or D grade).
- Price type is the Buy Now price or fixed list price. For a few trade sellers whose no-reserve listings work as fixed prices, the start price is used and flagged in our raw data.
- Where a supplier publishes a range or a “from” price, the low value is used.
- Identical seller, location, size, condition and price count as one data point. The same seller in different towns at the same price counts separately, because stock is regional.
GST normalisation
GST in New Zealand is 15%. Trade Me trade sellers show GST-inclusive prices; this was checked on sampled listings, which carried wording such as “Price includes GST” or showed the +GST sum. Private sellers are not GST-registered, so their asking price is the final price. Supplier prices quoted as “+GST” were multiplied by 1.15. One supplier webshop was treated as GST-inclusive because every amount equals a round excl. GST figure multiplied by 1.15. One supplier did not state GST on sale prices; those two data points were treated as inclusive and flagged. All excl. GST figures in this index are the incl. GST values divided by 1.15.
Statistics
For each bucket we report the minimum, median, maximum and n. Quartiles are reported only where n is 13 or more, using the exclusive method. Medians are shown on this page only where n is 5 or more; thinner buckets are shown as ranges. There is no weighting by supplier or region.
Exclusions
We recorded 34 further Trade Me listings but left them out: 21 did not state condition, and the rest were mini units under 8ft, flat racks, insulated boxes, double-door units, dangerous goods containers or damaged units. Modified containers (offices, lunch rooms, roller doors, windows), container shelters, bundles and auction bids that are not a seller’s set price were also excluded.
Limitations
- These are asking prices, not sale prices. Only the seven sold units come close to transaction evidence.
- Trade Me dominates the sample. Several large suppliers publish no prices online or block automated reading, so their stock is not represented.
- Several buckets are thin: 40ft standard new (none), 40ft used (n of 4 or fewer), 20ft as-is and all reefer buckets. Treat them as indications.
- Condition labels are not standardised across NZ sellers, and bucket assignment follows the seller’s own words.
- Location matters: some South Island new-build prices from Wanaka and Cromwell are higher, and some sellers price by region.
- One Trade Me results page (about 50 listings) did not load, and prices change daily.
- Hire and delivery coverage is limited to what suppliers publish; most quote per enquiry.
Update schedule
The index is updated quarterly. The next edition is due in January 2027, using the same method so that the figures can be compared over time. If you are planning a purchase now, compare the index with current supplier quotes for your address; our shipping container price guide explains how to compare them like for like, and you can request delivered quotes for your address through our quote form.
How to cite this page
Suggested citation
Shipping-Containers.co.nz (2026). NZ Shipping Container Price Index, October 2026. Data collected 12 October 2026 from 137 published NZ asking prices. https://shipping-containers.co.nz/shipping-container-price-index/
Journalists, councils, researchers and suppliers are welcome to quote figures from this page with that citation and a link.
Using the figures
Quote the right number
When you quote a figure, state the size, condition, whether it is incl. or excl. GST and that it excludes delivery. For example: “a new 20ft shipping container had a median asking price of $4,830 incl. GST in October 2026, excluding delivery”. For questions about the data, email hello@shipping-containers.co.nz.
Get delivered prices for your address
The index shows asking prices ex yard. Tell us the size, condition and delivery address, and we pass your request to suppliers who service your area so you can compare delivered quotes.
Get a free quoteFAQ
Common questions about NZ container prices
In October 2026 a new or one-trip 20ft had a median asking price of $4,830 incl. GST ($4,200 excl. GST), with the middle half of listings between $4,590 and $5,290 incl. GST. A used 20ft sold as wind and watertight or B grade had a median of $3,680 incl. GST. As-is units started at $1,495 incl. GST. These prices are ex yard and exclude delivery.
New 40ft containers were advertised almost only as high cubes, at $6,999 to $10,595 incl. GST, with three of four listings between $6,999 and $7,395. Used 40ft standard containers in wind and watertight or B grade ranged from $3,500 to $5,060 incl. GST, and used 40ft high cubes from $3,000 to $6,595. Data for 40ft units is thin, so treat these as ranges.
No. All 137 data points are asking prices ex yard. Delivery is quoted per address in New Zealand and depends on distance, truck type and site access. Published examples ranged from $300 within Auckland to $1,100 to Kerikeri for one seller, and from $360 plus GST for hire deliveries in parts of Auckland. Ask for a delivered quote that lists transport separately.
Both are shown. Trade Me trade listings are GST-inclusive, and supplier prices quoted plus GST were multiplied by 1.15 to give an incl. GST figure. Excl. GST figures are the inclusive figures divided by 1.15. GST-registered businesses usually compare excl. GST prices; households compare incl. GST prices. Private sellers on Trade Me do not charge GST.
Quarterly. This edition uses prices collected on 12 October 2026, and the next edition is due in January 2027. Each edition uses the same inclusion rules, GST treatment and statistics so the figures can be compared over time. If a figure on this page is older than three months, check the latest edition before you quote it.