---
title: "US charges seven Chinese executives and four firms with illegal shipping container cartel"
description: "May 19 (Reuters) - The United States has charged seven Chinese executives and four of the world's largest shipping container companies with conspiring to restrict supply, raising the price of containers during the COVID pandemic, Department of Justice officials said on Tuesday."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "World"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-05-19-us-charges-seven-chinese-executives-and-four-firms-with-illegal-shipping-container-cartel/"
published: "2026-05-19T21:43:33"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 44
---

# US charges seven Chinese executives and four firms with illegal shipping container cartel

> May 19 (Reuters) - The United States has charged seven Chinese executives and four of the world's largest shipping container companies with conspiring to restrict supply, raising the price of containers during the COVID pandemic, Department of Justice officials said on Tuesday.

By Reuters · Published 19 May 2026, 23:43 SAST

## Content

The indictments were expected to be unsealed on Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump paid an official [visit](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N41R11U&linkedFromStory=true) to China last week that produced no major breakthroughs on trade.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren in Washington and Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Caitlin Webber)