As UK Export Growth Slows, Expert Highlights the Evolving Role of Shipping Containers

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Seventy years after a converted oil tanker carried the first standardised steel boxes from New Jersey to Texas, the shipping container remains the basic unit that global trade is built on.

A recent Financial Times feature examined how that system, having driven down the cost of moving goods to a small fraction of what it once was, is now running into pressure from port congestion and a widening gap between the volume of goods arriving in the West and the amount travelling back the other way.

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows UK goods exports fell by 2.1% across 2025 which prompted William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce to warn about the uncertainty for UK trade prospects, earlier this year.

Cleveland Containers, part of Cleveland Group, a leading UK supplier of shipping containers and container conversions, works with businesses across the country that depend on the same network to move goods, materials and equipment. Here, they offer their insights on the changing shape of global trade and the role of shipping containers in a new era.

UK Exporters are Feeling the Pressure

Shipping containers changed more than the mechanics of shipping when they were standardised in the 1960s. It also determined which countries could realistically compete for manufacturing and export work, by making it cheap enough to move goods across oceans that distance stopped being a barrier.

Andrew Thompson, CEO at Cleveland Containers said:

"That shift is part of the reason why the current slowdown in UK exports matters so much. Freight rates, longer transit times and rising insurance costs all add friction to getting goods out of the country, and that lands hardest on exporters who are already competing on tight margins."

The British Chambers of Commerce has referenced Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts pointing to cooler export growth this year, following a decline in goods exports across 2025. Thompson argues that businesses reliant on shipping should expect this kind of volatility to continue.

"Global shipping has been through several years of disruption now, from Red Sea rerouting to capacity being tied up elsewhere," he said. "Exporters who build flexibility into how they source containers and plan shipments are likely to cope with that volatility better."

Ports are Racing to Keep Pace

The pressure on exporters is matched by pressure on the ports handling the goods. DP World's expansion of London Gateway, which will add two new berths capable of taking the world's largest container ships, is expected to make it Britain's largest container port within five years of the project's approval.

Similar investment has been under way elsewhere, with the British Ports Association tracking hundreds of millions of pounds committed across ports including Belfast, Liverpool and Leith.

"Ports were not built with today's ship sizes in mind, so expansion has become a permanent feature of the industry," said Thompson. "For businesses, that means paying attention to which ports are investing and which routes are under strain, because that increasingly determines lead times as much as the shipping schedule itself."

A Second Life for Retired Containers

It’s estimated that around 1.8 million 20ft containers sit idle at any given time, roughly equivalent to the carrying capacity of the world's eighth largest shipping line. That build-up of empty containers can leave vessels queuing for berth space to unload, adding to both the cost and the time it takes to move goods, and leaving ports themselves carrying much of that burden.

Repurposing surplus containers rather than leaving them stacked at port is one way the industry can ease that pressure while giving retired stock a useful second life. Small Business UK reported that UK self-storage space using containers grew by more than 7% in the past year, with firms using them for overspill warehousing, secure on-site stores and temporary workspaces.

"A container coming off a shipping route still has plenty of useful life left in it," said Thompson.

"We convert containers into offices, canteens, workshops and self-storage units for customers across construction, agriculture, retail and education, and demand for that kind of flexible space keeps growing. It's a practical way for the industry to get more value out of stock that would otherwise sit unused while the wider shipping network works through its own problems."

Global trade may look different over the next fifty years, but the steel box that helped build it has now become part of the operational backbone of UK business.

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Jul 28, 2025

3 min read

A Lanarkshire business has secured a vital NHS Scotland contract for its innovative stoma bag accompaniment after the business owner received support from Business Gateway.

Confidence Plus Ltd was founded in East Kilbride in 2019 by Anne Inch and Lisa Crombie, who created ConfiPlus Stoma Pockets. The product first went on sale in the UK in December 2020.

ConfiPlus Stoma Pockets are a discrete and easy-to-use stoma bag accompaniment designed to contain leakage and reduce worry and discomfort. Suitable for use with most stoma bags, the product helps minimise both the physical and mental impact of stoma care.

By improving comfort, security and dignity, ConfiPlus Stoma Pockets empower users to regain their independence and enjoy greater freedom in everyday life.

The product was created by an ostomate, Anne Inch, for her late husband Iain, who had an Ileostomy (the surgical procedure that creates a stoma) and suffered from constant leakage during frequent stays in the hospital. Anne wanted to find a new way to contain leakage and reduce the impact of the stoma.

The first version was made on her sewing machine and she then went on to make more for other patients in her husband’s ward after being encouraged by the nurses who saw the impact it had on Iain.

The products are now made by a medical device manufacturer in the UK and the team has had support from the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre working in partnership Heriot Watt University and the University of Dundee.

At an early stage in 2019, Anne contacted her former colleague Lisa to ask about getting involved when she started Confidence Plus and Lisa was happy to support. They’ve been working together to build the business since then.

With just 48 hours to prepare a high-stakes NHS Scotland tender for Stoma Supplies, Lisa turned to Business Gateway for urgent support. Adviser Debbie Dawkins provided intensive one-to-one guidance and quickly introduced the team to a procurement expert. A two-hour procurement session with consultant Judith Stewart helped improve the bid and ensure it met the robust NHS procurement standards.

To comply with strict sustainability requirements, Anne and Lisa also accessed three days of Net Zero consultancy support through Business Gateway. With the help of environmental consultant Zoe Stirton, the pair developed a Carbon Management Plan, Environmental Policy and Carbon Management Policy - all of which were required for the bid. This consultancy support proved crucial in demonstrating Confidence Plus’s commitment to sustainability and responsible innovation.

The business has continued working with Zoe to expand her Net Zero strategy and has been referred to the Extend Plus programme for a carbon baseline assessment.

With a fortuitous last minute extension to the closing date, and as a direct result of this combined support, ConfiPlus won the NHS Scotland contract, bringing the product one step closer to helping thousands of stoma users across the UK.

With continued support from Business Gateway and other partners, Confidence Plus is now exploring further opportunities to scale and bring its life-changing products to more stoma users across the UK and beyond. The pair have recently launched the business in the US to help stoma patients there also.

Lisa Crombie, co-founder of Confidence Plus Ltd, said: “When I say I couldn’t have done this without Debbie’s help, I mean it. She went above and beyond, and we’re so grateful for her support and the introductions she made to Judith and Zoe."

"After speaking with Judith, I realised how far off the mark we were. Without her guidance, our tender simply wouldn’t have met NHS Scotland’s requirements. This success has been game-changing, not just for the business, but for the people we aim to support through ConfiPlus.”

Debbie Dawkins, Business Gateway adviser, said: “Anne and Lisa’s determination to get ConfiPlus into the hands of the people who need it most is incredibly inspiring. It’s been a pleasure to support her through this critical process."

"Winning the NHS Scotland contract is a huge milestone, and I’m excited to see how the business continues to grow.”

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As UK Export Growth Slows, Expert Highlights the Evolving Role of Shipping Containers

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