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US probing if China firms cut output of containers before pandemic, says CBS

By Thomson Reuters May 19, 2026 | 10:52 AM

May 19 (Reuters) – The United States is probing whether Chinese ​companies deliberately restricted ‌the world’s production of storage containers for the shipping trade just ‌before ​the COVID ⁠pandemic began in ⁠2020, CBS said on Tuesday, citing sources.

Several Chinese executives have ​been indicted, it added, citing two ⁠sources as ⁠saying the formal ​indictments were expected to ​be unsealed on Tuesday.

Investigators ‌have been looking at a handful of Chinese firms that ⁠together control the majority of unrefrigerated shipping container manufacturing, ⁠CBS ‌said.

U.S. President ⁠Donald Trump paid ​an ‌official visit to ​China last ⁠week that produced no major breakthroughs on trade.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Caitlin ​Webber)