Container Wars is an auction show that takes place in a commercial shipping port. The show's cast compete against each other to buy contents of huge shipping containers that have come from all around the world. The cast have no idea what's inside the containers until the doors are opened. They then have only a few minutes to assess what's visible and decide whether to bid. The winner of each container then assesses the contents in greater detail and decides on the amount of profit or loss they are likely to make.