a hundredweight cwt is a unit of measurement used to define the quantities of certain commodities being bought and sold it is used in some commodities trading contracts pricing by hundredweight also is a standard option for shipping packages that take up less than an entire truckload usage of hundredweight more generally has declined in favor of contract specifications in pounds or kilograms 
the value of a hundredweight differs in its american and british usages in the united states a hundredweight is a unit of mass equal to 100 pounds in the united kingdom a hundredweight is a unit of mass equal to 112 pounds the two values are sometimes distinguished by referring to the american hundredweight as a short hundredweight and the british hundredweight as a long hundredweight 1 the short hundredweight is also sometimes called a cental understanding hundredweight cwt the abbreviation cwt refers to centum or cental weight meaning hundredweight the hundredweight has been used as a measurement of mass in europe since the late medieval era traders bought and sold goods like wax sugar and pepper in hundredweights although the precise amount that was meant at the time could be 100 pounds or 108 pounds since 1340 when king edward iii changed the official definition of one stone to 14 pounds one hundredweight has equaled eight stones or 112 pounds 2this was set in law in 1878 when the weights and measures act established one hundredweight as 112 pounds 3 in the u s and canada one hundredweight then and now is 100 pounds 14in the united states and canada 1 hundredweight count cwt is equal to 100 lbs or 45 4 kilograms in great britain 1 hundredweight count cwt is equal to 112 lbs or 50 8 kilograms 1in 1824 it became illegal for british merchants to use the term hundredweight to refer to a unit of 100 pounds and merchants could be sued for fraudulent activity for doing so in 1879 it became legal again to use of measurement of 100 pounds in britain but only when it was labeled a cental 5the term hundredweight is derived from the french avoirdupois weight system which was established in england in the late medieval period it provided a standard for measurement simplifying the trading of certain goods among countries 6this was especially helpful when dealing with commodities that were traded in large quantities it was accepted that 20 hundredweights were one ton 7 a short ton weighed 2 000 pounds and a long ton weighed 2 240 pounds 1the abbreviation cwt stands for centum or cental weight meaning one hundredweight examples of hundredweight cwt the hundredweight is most often used as a unit of measure for trading large quantities of commodities it also is used when referring to products that are exceptionally heavy such as steel many food items such as cattle oil seeds and grains are measured using the hundredweight along with products sold in bulk including paper and some chemicals or additives one problem with using the hundredweight for global trade is that it has two standard definitions it s 100 pounds in the u s and canada and 112 pounds in the u k in the futures markets prices for cattle and other livestock are quoted in hundredweights while prices for foods like coffee and sugar are priced by cents per pound prices of futures including livestock and rice may be measured and traded in hundredweights 8anvils were commonly measured in hundredweights using a decimal designation to state the number of hundredweights quarter hundredweights and pounds the anvil weighed the formula can still be used to indicate anvil weight 9shipping by hundredweight is the preferred option for many businesses that frequently ship small packages that add up to less than a full truckload rise of the metric systemwith the increased use of the metric system across europe the hundredweight generally fell out of favor as the metric system created a more universally accepted standard dealing in hundredweights became less common the potential for confusion between the british and north american definitions helped make it unpopular for international trade even though it is not as commonly used as it once was it is still an accepted unit of measurement the hundredweight is used within certain u s sectors especially those related to agriculture even though most trade is conducted in pounds or kilograms cwt shipping vs ltl shippingoften used by small shippers that need to send packages to several destinationspreferred by many businesses shipping small packages that add up to less than a full truckloadconsistent standardized system of pricingmore affordable when shipping lighter items across short distancesused to ship larger items requiring one pallet or moreoften used to ship items that are large very heavy or oddly shapedoften used when goods are being shipped to the same destination such as a warehousemore affordable when shipping heavier items across a greater distanceshipping companies that handle smaller loads of goods can often choose between two pricing options for transporting their packages hundredweight cwt or less than truckload ltl pricing generally a shipping company that specializes in carrying small loads from many clients relies on hundredweight pricing ups and fedex for example both offer hundredweight options for shipping packages 1011hundredweight pricing is often used by small shippers that need to send packages to several destinations it s the more affordable way to ship lighter items across short distances ltl pricing on the other hand is often used to ship large very heavy items that fit on one pallet or more it s the more affordable way to ship heavier items across a greater distance 12according to freightsnap a firm that specializes in supply chain management services both options have advantages and disadvantages the better shipping choice depends on many factors including the size shape and weight of the products being shipped and the distance being covered 12