Why Empty Containers Piled Up at Chinese Ports

What’s new: China’s customs bureau has given its official explanation for the glut of empty containers sitting in Chinese ports.

The piles of metal boxes are the result of a combination of factors — a surge in new container supply during the pandemic to meet a jump in Chinese exports, the low cost of storing the boxes in China, large amounts of empty containers returning to China after the export boom during the pandemic ease, and seasonal factors.