- U.S. container ports are projected to handle under 2 million TEUs monthly for the rest of the year as rising tariffs weigh on trade.
- Retailers frontloaded imports earlier in the year to avoid tariff hikes, leading to an early peak season and softer volumes now.
- August recorded 2.32 million TEUs, with October and November forecasts showing double-digit year-over-year declines.
- Despite current slowdowns, the first half of 2025 saw moderate growth, though new tariffs are expected to pressure import activity into early 2026.
With most holiday inventories already in place and tariff pressures mounting, import cargo volumes at major U.S. container ports are projected to dip below 2 million TEUs for the remainder of the year. The decline reflects a shift in retailer strategies following early shipments to avoid rising duties. These trends were highlighted in the latest Global Port Tracker report published by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, as shared by AJOT.
Following an early import surge ahead of tariff deadlines, U.S. ports are now seeing a steady decline in container volumes. August handled 2.32 million TEUs, slightly below July’s peak of 2.39 million, while projections for October and November show sharper year-over-year drops of over 12% and 19%, respectively. Analysts attribute this slowdown to frontloaded shipments and ongoing tariff uncertainty, which continue to disrupt trade patterns. Despite these short-term declines, the first half of 2025 recorded modest growth of 3.7% year over year, showing that retailers effectively built stockpiles to manage costs. However, as inventories deplete and new tariffs on goods such as furniture and cabinetry take effect, the industry anticipates further adjustments through early 2026.
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Source: AJOT
