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July 2024 U.S. container import volumes increased from June 2024, growing 11.2% to 2.56 million TEUs. July volumes represent a 26-month high since the all-time high set in May 2022. This also marks the first time in 22 months that volumes have been above the 2.4-million-TEU level that created port congestion and delays during the pandemic years. For the top 10 U.S. ports, overall transit time delays in July decreased from June, despite July TEU volumes reaching levels that have stressed ports and inland logistics in the past. Chinese imports in July represented a 14.7% increase over June totals and a 19.9% increase over July 2023.
For the top 10 U.S. ports, container import volume in July 2024 increased 236,884 TEUs, or 12% versus June 2024 . The ports of Los Angeles, up 69,476 TEUs, and New York and New Jersey, up 58,258 TEUs, experienced the greatest container volume increases from June. The ports of Houston, down 174 TEUs, and Oakland, down 652 TEUs, were the only ports that recorded month-over-month declines.
In July 2024, U.S. imports from China recorded a record high of 1.02 million TEUs. Compared to the previous high set in August 2022 of one million TEUs, July imports were up 1.9%, or 19,188 TEUs. The top two commodity codes (HS-2s) continued to be consumer-oriented goods such as HS-94 (furniture, bedding, etc.) and HS-39 (plastics and articles thereof). China represented 40% of the total U.S. container imports in July, an increase of 1.2% from June but still down 1.5% from the high of 41.5% in February 2022.
For the top 10 countries of origin, U.S. container import volume in July 2024 increased 198,841 TEUs, or 11.7% from June. China, Vietnam and Hong Kong experienced the most volume growth, increasing 131,457 TEUs, 24,650 TEUs and 18,741 TEUs, respectively. Imports from India experienced the greatest volume decrease, declining 8,945 TEUs.
For the top 10 U.S. ports, overall transit time delays in July decreased from June, despite July TEU volumes reaching levels that have stressed ports and inland logistics in the past. Port transit delays at West Coast and East Coast ports were mixed in July 2024, with some ports seeing marginal improvements and others seeing marginally longer delays. The East Coast port of Charleston saw the greatest improvement, reducing delays by 2.9 days while the West Coast port of Tacoma reported the largest increase, with delays rising by 1 day compared to June.
