About the Metric Ton to Short Ton Converter
This metric ton to short ton converter switches between the three "tons" in everyday use: the metric ton or tonne (1,000 kg), the US short ton (2,000 lb) and the UK long ton (2,240 lb). Enter a weight in any of them — or in pounds or kilograms — and see it in all the others.
Mixing these up is a common and costly mistake in freight quotes, commodity prices, vehicle and crane ratings, emissions reports and scrap or grain contracts. A tonne is about 10% heavier than a US ton, and a long ton is about 1.6% heavier than a tonne.
All three tons are defined exactly through the international pound of 0.45359237 kg, so these conversions involve no approximation beyond rounding for display.
With the default inputs, the us short tons is 11.0231 tn. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the metric ton to short ton converter
- 1Enter the weight.
- 2Pick the unit it is in — tonnes, short tons, long tons, pounds or kilograms.
- 3Read US short tons as the main result, with the other units below.
- 4Confirm which "ton" a contract or spec means before relying on the figure.
Formula and method
The international pound is exactly 0.45359237 kg. A US short ton is 2,000 lb = 907.18474 kg, a UK long ton is 2,240 lb = 1,016.0469088 kg, and a metric ton (tonne) is 1,000 kg. The converter turns the input into kilograms and divides by the size of each ton.
So 1 tonne ≈ 1.10231 short tons ≈ 0.98421 long tons, and 1 long ton = 1.12 short tons exactly. In the US, "ton" alone means a short ton; in most other countries it usually means a tonne.
- t
- Metric ton (tonne), 1,000 kg
- tn
- US short ton, 2,000 lb
- LT
- UK long ton, 2,240 lb
Worked examples
10 tonnes of steel
10 × 1,000 kg = 10,000 kg. 10,000 ÷ 907.185 = 11.023 short tons and 10,000 ÷ 1,016.047 = 9.842 long tons.
40-ton US truck limit in tonnes
40 × 907.18474 kg = 36,287 kg = 36.29 tonnes. In long tons that is 80,000 lb ÷ 2,240 = 35.71.
1 UK long ton
A long ton is 2,240 lb, which is 2,240 ÷ 2,000 = 1.12 short tons and 1,016.05 kg, just over one tonne.
Frequently asked questions
Is a metric ton bigger than a US ton?+
Yes. A metric ton (1,000 kg ≈ 2,204.6 lb) is about 10.2% heavier than a US short ton (2,000 lb).
How many short tons are in a metric ton?+
One metric ton equals about 1.10231 US short tons. Multiply tonnes by 1.10231 to get short tons.
What is a long ton?+
A long ton, also called an imperial or gross ton, is 2,240 lb (1,016.05 kg). It is still used for ship displacement and some UK and commodity contexts.
Is "tonne" the same as "metric ton"?+
Yes. Tonne (symbol t) is the official name for 1,000 kg; "metric ton" is the common US term for the same unit.
How many pounds are in a metric ton?+
One metric ton is about 2,204.62 pounds, compared with exactly 2,000 lb in a short ton and 2,240 lb in a long ton.