On the Forefront of Globalization

The shipping container is a simple tool that has drastically transformed the face of international business. There’s not a whole lot too it, really. It’s just a big box with some paint and doors. But no other object has been at the front-lines of globalization quite like shipping containers. To this end, BBC has undertaken a year-long project in which they are tracking the contents and movements of one container as it travels from port to port. It recently dropped off a load of fine whisky in Shanghai, and has since been loaded up with clothing bound for the U.S.

Aside from a GPS tracker and a flashy new paint-job, it is just a simple working container like any other. This is a really unique approach see first-hand the physical impacts of globalization. You can track the container and view all sorts of interesting multimedia on the BBC’s website.