Can someone explain what this means in layman’s terms? What is a reefer in this context? What is the cause and effect of what is being described?
Reefer is a refrigerated carrier of any type. Think of that pork chop that got pushed to the back of the frige, for a long time ...
Usually a 20 foot container with built in refrigeration equipment. Can also be 40 and can be 10 foot and can also be a tank-tainer. Fully self contained. They can run out of fuel and become hot boxes. Stuff in them can go bad even while under refrigeration just like in your fridge. They can also be freezer containers. They are handled just like regular shipping containers by cranes, rail, ships and trucks.
The high cube and other types of container options were probably forgotten, but everyone remembered the reefer.
The reefer units, I would guess, mainly contain pork that they are importing from us. Chinas pigs have died off from another virus mandating they import more pork from us. Also they have had a bird flu virus killing off their chickens.
On top of this, for some reason, we send out chickens over there for processing into whatever. Be prepared to see slightly green chicken for sale at your nearest store.
Refrigerated shipping container, just bigger versions of the trucks that deliver perishable foods to grocery stores, etc. A load of frozen food will probably be fine, but produce as a example will probably sit and rot.