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Containers & Cargo Equipment

Reefer Container

Also known as: Refrigerated Container, Reefer

A reefer is a refrigerated shipping container fitted with its own temperature-control unit, used to carry perishable and temperature-sensitive cargo such as fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy, pharmaceuticals, and certain chemicals under a precisely maintained climate throughout the journey. The container draws power from the vessel, terminal, or a generator set, and shippers must pre-cool the box, set the correct temperature and ventilation, and monitor the cold chain to prevent spoilage. Reefer transport commands premium freight rates and demands careful coordination, because a lapse in temperature can ruin an entire high-value load.

The JFS takeLicensed customs broker · Filer 82G

Temperature-controlled and the most operationally demanding equipment in the trade. Power gaps at transfer points are where cargo is lost, and for food and pharmaceutical cargo the temperature record is a regulatory document as much as a commercial one.

Where it matters for compliance

  • Perishable and pharmaceutical cargo generally carries agency requirements in addition to customs entry.

Related terms

TEUA twenty-foot equivalent unit is the standard measure of container capacity, based on the volume of one twenty-foot-long shipping container, used to express the size of vessels, terminals, and cargo flows in a common unit.Dangerous Goods DeclarationA dangerous goods declaration is a formal document in which the shipper certifies that hazardous materials have been correctly classified, packaged, marked, labeled, and documented in accordance with the applicable international transport regulations for their mode of carriage.

Reviewed by a licensed customs broker. Definitions are general information, not legal or customs advice for a particular shipment. Duty rates, tariff programs and agency requirements change frequently.