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DOJ Indicts Four Chinese Container Makers in Price-Fixing Scheme

The Justice Department has charged four major Chinese shipping container manufacturers and seven executives with orchestrating a global price-fixing conspiracy that significantly increased costs for U.S. businesses and consumers. CIMC, Shanghai Universal Logistics Equipment, CXIC Group Containers, and Singamas Container Holdings control 95 percent of worldwide standard dry container production. Prosecutors allege the companies restricted output by reducing factory shifts, installing surveillance equipment to monitor production limits, and agreeing to forego new facility construction. The alleged scheme caused container prices to approximately double between 2019 and 2021, generating up to 100-fold profit increases for some firms. A grand jury issued sealed indictments in October 2025. French authorities arrested executive Vick Ma at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport on April 14, 2026. The defendants face felony Sherman Antitrust Act charges.