With the spread of the pandemic from its Asian epicenter, countries went into lockdown, halting economic activity and production. Many factories were temporarily closed, which led to a large number of containers being stuck in ports. To stabilize ocean freight rates, carriers reduced the number of departing ships. This not only slowed down imports and exports but also resulted in empty containers not being collected from unloading ports. This was especially critical for Asian traders, who were unable to retrieve empty containers from North America.

What followed was a unique and unprecedented scenario. Asia, being the first hit by the pandemic, was also the first to recover. As China resumed exports earlier than the rest of the world, other nations were still facing restrictions, reduced labor forces, and minimal production.

The consequences were that almost all remaining containers in Asia were directed toward Europe and North America, but they did not return quickly enough. Massive labor shortages caused by COVID-19 restrictions in North America and Europe affected not only ports but also freight warehouses and inland transport lines. With insufficient personnel to process imports, containers began to pile up.