1200 x 1000 mm plastic bulk containers
1200 x 1000 mm, about 47.2 x 39.4 in, is a metric pallet footprint listed in ISO 6780 and used widely outside North America. A bulk container on it matches the pallets and racking at the far end of an export lane. ORBIS listed four models on it when we checked, alongside 1200 x 800 and 1000 x 800 mm.
Heights it comes in
- By model
From ORBIS bulk container range, reviewed 14 November 2026.
Containers made on it
- Collapsible containerFor export loops where empties come back; ask for the folded height.
- Sleeve packCommon on metric lanes, with a base sized to the metric pallet.
- Plastic pallet boxRigid, for one-way export where the box stays with the customer.
What it fits
On paper it is close to 48 x 40 in, but not close enough to mix freely: 1200 mm is about 0.8 in shorter than 48 in, and 1000 mm about 0.6 in shorter than 40 in. In racking that is harmless; on a conveyor with guides set for 48 x 40 it may not be. Decide which pallet system the container lives in.
Plastic containers aren't wood packaging, so they fall outside the ISPM 15 heat-treatment marking that USDA APHIS describes for wood packaging material. That is one reason exporters use them. Check your destination's rules for any wood dunnage you add inside.
Exporters to Asia, where 1100 x 1100 mm and 1200 x 1000 mm pallets are common in many countries, sometimes choose the metric box so the receiving plant handles it like any other load. Ask whether the far end has racking or conveyors sized to it. On ocean containers, metric footprints load a little differently from 48 x 40; plan the count per box before the first shipment.
Two other metric footprints sit beside this one: 1200 x 800 mm, the Euro pallet size, and 1000 x 800 mm. Exporters to Europe often find 1200 x 800 mm the better match there. If you aren't sure what the receiver uses, ask them for their pallet size and their racking beam depth before you pick a container. A wrong guess means repacking at the far end, which costs labour and damages parts. A quote for metric containers takes a little longer, since fewer models are held in stock in the US.
Ask the receiving plant for its packaging instructions; many overseas manufacturers publish them for suppliers, naming the footprint and height they accept.
Mark export containers clearly with the owner's name, in case they need to come back.
Canada mostly uses the 48 x 40 in pallet, like the US, so containers for Canadian plants are usually quoted in inches. Australia's standard pallet is 1165 x 1165 mm, square and matched closely by neither this footprint nor 48 x 40 in.
Questions about 1200 x 1000 mm
- Is 1200 x 1000 the same as a European pallet?
- No. The common European pallet is 1200 x 800 mm. 1200 x 1000 mm is a different ISO size, used widely in industry and in many export markets. ORBIS also makes bulk containers on 1200 x 800 and 1000 x 800 mm.
- Does it fit a US trailer?
- Yes. It is slightly smaller than 48 x 40 in, so it fits wherever that footprint does, with a little more space around each container.
- Can I use it inside the US too?
- You can, if your racking and conveyors take it. Mixing it with 48 x 40 in containers on one conveyor is where problems start.
- Can you ship metric containers overseas for us?
- We quote the containers delivered to a US address; your forwarder handles the ocean leg, booking, customs paperwork and any fumigation of wooden dunnage packed inside.