U.S. Container Imports Decline with China Shipments Leading the Drop

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Mfame Editor
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  • China Shipments to U.S. Fall 22.9% Year-on-Year.
  • Tariff Volatility Adds Pressure on Global Trade.
  • Port Transit Times See Minor Improvement as Volumes Decline.

Descartes Systems Group, a prominent player in logistics and supply chain intelligence, has just released its October Global Shipping Report, which reveals a drop in U.S. container import volumes. In September 2025, total imports hit 2,307,933 TEUs, marking an 8.4% decrease from August and also down 8.4% compared to September 2024, reports AJOT.

China Imports Slide on Tariff and Trade Uncertainty

Imports from China fell to 762,772 TEUs, reflecting a 12.3% decline month-over-month and a significant 22.9% drop year-over-year. While port transit times showed a mixed bag of results, there were some minor improvements overall as the reduced volumes helped ease congestion. The October update points out that ongoing tariff volatility continues to stir uncertainty in global trade, compounded by the pressures of geopolitical disruptions on supply chains.

September Drop Follows Seasonal Trends but Reflects Tariff Sensitivity

In September, U.S. container imports dipped by 8.4% month-over-month, which aligns with the usual seasonal patterns observed in eight of the last ten years. However, this year’s sharper decline hints at a greater sensitivity to tariff deadlines, as importers are adjusting their shipment flows in anticipation of possible policy changes. Despite the contraction in September, the volumes for the first nine months of 2025 are still 1.9% higher than the same timeframe in 2024, indicating that import activity remains fairly strong overall.

China Leads the Decline Among Top 10 Source Countries

Imports from the top 10 source countries dropped by 9.4% month-over-month, translating to a total decrease of 169,126 TEUs. The most significant decline came from China, which experienced a drop of 106,751 TEUs — down 12.3% month-over-month and 22.9% year-over-year.

Year-over-year, many of China’s leading export categories to the U.S. recorded steep declines:

  1. Aluminum and articles thereof (HS-76): –43.8%
  2. Footwear (HS-64): –33.9%
  3. Toys and sporting goods (HS-95): –32.8%
  4. Electric machinery (HS-85): –31.5%
  5. Knit apparel (HS-61): –31.9%
  6. Non-knit apparel (HS-62): –29.1%
  7. Glassware (HS-70): –28.3%
  8. Articles of iron or steel (HS-73): –24.6%
  9. Vehicles (HS-87): –23.5%
  10. Furniture and bedding (HS-94): –22.3% (still holding a 14.5% share of all China-origin imports)

Analysts Cite Tariff Caution and Market Dynamics

“After two months of elevated volumes, U.S. container imports dropped in September, led by a significant pullback in volumes from China,” said Jackson Wood, Director of Industry Strategy at Descartes. “September’s decline underscores the combined impact of seasonal softening and tariff-related caution. With the 90-day tariff truce between the two countries set to expire in mid-November, China’s share of U.S. imports remains sensitive to both policy outcomes and underlying market dynamics.”

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Source: AJOT