What is a metric ton (or tonne)?
A metric ton, also known as a tonne, is a unit of mass in the metric system equal to 1,000 kilograms or approximately 2,204.62 pounds. It is commonly used in international trade and commerce as a standard unit for measuring large quantities of goods such as minerals, agricultural products, and industrial materials. The metric ton is preferred over the traditional ton (short ton) in most countries due to its simplicity and consistency with the metric system.
The metric ton is widely used in industries such as shipping, manufacturing, and agriculture for its ease of conversion and compatibility with other metric units. It is important to note that the metric ton should not be confused with the ton (short ton) used in the United States, which is equivalent to 2,000 pounds.
What are pounds?
Pounds are an imperial unit of weight normally used in the United States but can be found in use in the United Kingdom and Ireland as well. One pound is equal to 0.4536 kilograms.
We provide several conversion calculators from pounds on this site including the most popular: pounds to kilograms.
Note that pounds are normally referring to avoirdupois pounds. This should not be confused with Troy pounds which is used almost exclusively to measure precious metals.