News
This year’s drawn-out peak shipping season appears to finally be ending, with import volume at the nation’s major container ports starting to slow down compared with persistent high numbers over the summer, according to a recent Global Port Tracker (GPT) report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates (HA).
“Most holiday merchandise has arrived, and the remainder of the year is just a matter of last-minute replenishment and preparation for early 2027,” said Johnathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy.
The U.S. ports covered by GPT handled 2.3 million TEUs of containers in August, down 0.7% from a year earlier but up 0.4% from July.
Ports have not yet reported September numbers, but GPT projects 2.28 million TEUs, up 8.2% year over year. October is forecast at 2.25 million TEUs, up 8.5% r; November at two million TEUs, down 1%, and December at 2.02 million TEUs, up 0.6%. January 2027 is forecast at 2.07 million TEUs, down 1.9% and February at 1.92 million TEUs, up 1%.
