There is an interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal titled "Container Shortage Puts U.S. Exports in a Box." 

Many U.S. companies hoping to profit from surging exports created by the weak dollar are facing an unexpected hurdle: There aren't enough of the big, metal shipping containers that help form the backbone of the global economy.

Finding enough of the big metal boxes used to be a cinch, because the nation's massive hunger for imports meant they were constantly arriving and stacking up from Long Beach, Calif., to Long Island, N.Y. Shipping companies typically scoured the country for anyone willing to fill outgoing boxes. But with the slump in the value of the dollar making U.S. goods more attractive to foreign buyers and many overseas economies continuing to hum, the tide has shifted in recent months. Trade figures being released Thursday are expected by many economists to show further growth in exports.

The full article can be found here (subscription required) or on Page B1 of the Print Edition.