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To understand why more than 100 containerships are waiting to enter U.S. ports from Southern California to Savannah, Ga., it helps to keep tabs on the congestion that’s building at another key junction of freight transportation: rail yards.

Imported cargo shipments to the U.S. are expected to remain at a record or near-record levels for several more months as consumer spending continues to restart the pandemic-damaged economy. But industry experts say all of that buying is clogging an already overtaxed supply chain.

A global shortage of shipping containers that has sent ocean freight rates skyrocketing shows signs of easing, according to an index that tracks the steel boxes used to transport 90% of the global trade in goods.

The humble shipping container has a new status in the COVID-19 pandemic: hot commodity.

The nation’s ports continued to see steady growth in November cargo volume, as shippers moved goods to the United States from overseas in advance of the holiday shopping season and rushed to get cargo stateside ahead of expected tariffs on shipments from China.

Cosco Shipping Holdings Co.’s sale of a container terminal in Long Beach, Calif., has drawn interest from potential buyers, including Blackstone Group LP and KKR & Co., people familiar with the matter said.

September and October were record months for many of the nation’s ports as shippers prepared for a busy holiday shopping season and rushed to get cargo into the U.S. ahead of the Trump administration’s tariffs against several nations, including China.

Innovators within the produce industry are breaking the boundaries of food production — by growing crops not in fields, but in recycled shipping containers.

Steamship line Hapag-Lloyd will increase fees to transport freight to the United States and cross-border freight from Canada. Cargo between Canada and the United States will be subject to a carbon tax.