According to Descartes Systems Group’s August Global Shipping Report, U.S. container import volumes saw a significant spike in July 2025. The report highlights several key trends, including a surge in overall imports, a dramatic increase in shipments from China, and the continued dominance of West Coast ports.
U.S. Imports Experience a Significant Surge
U.S. container import volumes in July reached 2,621,910 TEUs, marking an 18.2% increase from June and the second-highest level on record, just shy of the all-time high set in May 2022. This surge is attributed to the typical peak season rise in ocean shipping, but it is also suspected that importers are frontloading shipments to get ahead of anticipated changes in trade policy. The total TEUs for the year through July are up 3.6% compared to the same period in 2024.
China’s Exports to the U.S. Rebound
After a period of slower activity, imports from China saw a substantial increase, climbing to 923,075 TEUs in July. This represents a 44.4% month-over-month increase and is the highest level for China since January 2025. This surge caused China’s share of total U.S. imports to rise to 35.2%, though it still falls short of the record high set in February 2022. Imports from Hong Kong also saw a notable increase of 47.8%.
Despite the elevated import volumes, the top U.S. ports demonstrated strong performance in July, with only modest increases in transit time delays. This indicates that port infrastructure handled the surge effectively. For the second consecutive month, West Coast ports maintained their lead in market share over East and Gulf Coast ports.
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Source: AJOT
