Trade Hampered by a Shortage of Shipping Containers

That has driven up the cost of containers and shipping rates are skyrocketing. The index for containerized freight out of Shanghai increased 44 percent this past week, reaching an all-time high. California Congressman Jim Costa wants this issue investigated. “We find problems most recently with trading partners taking containers in which they exported their products to the United States and some of those containers are returning back to their countries empty. That’s an unfair trade practice in my view.” Costa is a member of the House Agriculture Committee.