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Importers Sue Shipping Container Makers Over Alleged Price-Fixing Scheme

By  |  June 10, 2026
price-fixing

Importers have launched a proposed class action against four of the world’s largest shipping container manufacturers, accusing them of conspiring to restrict production and inflate prices during the COVID-19 pandemic, in a case that follows closely on the heels of a major U.S. criminal antitrust prosecution.

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    The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, alleges that the manufacturers coordinated output reductions and fixed prices for standard dry shipping containers, forcing buyers to pay artificially inflated prices during one of the most disruptive periods in modern supply-chain history.

    The civil action comes weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging four container manufacturing companies and seven executives with participating in a global conspiracy to limit production and raise prices between November 2019 and January 2024.

    According to federal prosecutors, the companies controlled approximately 95% of the world’s supply of standard unrefrigerated shipping containers. The Justice Department alleges the firms agreed to restrict output and coordinate pricing, causing container prices to roughly double between 2019 and 2021 as global trade struggled through pandemic-related disruptions.

    The defendants named in public reports include China International Marine Containers (CIMC), Singamas Container Holdings, Shanghai Universal Logistics Equipment, also known as Dong Fang, and CXIC Group Containers.

    Prosecutors allege the companies implemented production limits and other measures designed to prevent competitors from expanding output, even as demand for shipping equipment surged. The alleged conduct coincided with widespread container shortages that contributed to delays, higher transportation costs and supply-chain bottlenecks around the world.

    The proposed class action seeks damages on behalf of U.S. purchasers of shipping containers who claim they paid inflated prices as a result of the alleged conspiracy. If certified, the case could encompass a broad group of importers, leasing companies and logistics firms that purchased containers during the relevant period.

    Source: Law 360