News
Imports to U.S. major container ports are expected to remain high as retailers continue to bring in cargo ahead of growing tariffs on China and threats against other countries, according to a Global Port Tracker (GPT) report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.
The U.S. ports covered by GPT handled 2.14 million TEUs of containers in December, down 0.9% from month over month but up 14.4% year over year. December brought 2024 to a total of 25.5 million TEUs, up 14.8% from 2023 and the highest level since 2021's record of 25.8 million TEUs during the pandemic.
Ports have not yet reported January's numbers, but GPT has projected the month at 2.11 million TEUs, up 7.8% year over year. February, traditionally the slowest month of the year because of Lunar New Year factory shutdowns in China, is forecast at 1.96 million TEUs, up 0.2%. March is forecast at 2.14 million TEUs, up 11.1%; April at 2.18 million TEUs, up 8.2%; May at 2.19 million TEUs, up 5.4% and June at 2.13 million TEUs, down 0.6%.
