News
In June, U.S. container import volumes rebounded modestly to 2.22 million TEUs, up 1.8% from May but down 3.5% from June 2024, according to the Descartes Systems Group. It followed May’s sharp 9.7% month-over-month drop driven by tariff volatility and shifting trade policy. Year-to-date, total imports through June were tracking 3.8% above 2024, though growth slowed compared to earlier in the year.
Imports from China edged up slightly to 639,300 TEUs, a 0.4% increase from May, but were 28.3% lower year-over-year, sustaining the steep drop that began in May under elevated tariffs and the removal of the de minimis exemption. The sharp decline followed a wave of frontloading in April as importers rushed to beat tariff deadlines. China’s share of U.S. imports fell further to 28.8%, well below its July 2024 peak of 40%.
Container volumes at the top 10 ports increased 3.1% compared to the previous month, with a combined net gain of 55,733 TEUs. The growth was driven by the West Coast, where Los Angeles saw a 29.1% increase (up 103,884 TEUs) increase, Long Beach increased 18.8% (up 58,492 TEUs) and Tacoma increased 33.3% (up 16,142 TEUs). However, most other major ports experienced declines. Savannah posted the steepest loss at 16.9%, followed by Houston (15.8%), Charleston (14.8%), and Norfolk (14.3%). Volumes at New York and New Jersey fell 3.3%.
Top West Coast ports rebounded sharply, increasing their volume share to 45.4%, up from 38.1% in May. Meanwhile, top East and Gulf Coast ports saw their share fall to 38.7%, a significant drop from the previous month’s 44.5%. Overall, the top 10 U.S. ports handled 84.1% of total imports, up from 82.6% in May.
