March 13, 2025
Amid continuing tariff turmoil, imports at major U.S. container ports are expected to remain elevated through this spring but volume could see year-over-year drops this summer, according to the latest Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.
U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.22 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units - one 20-foot container or its equivalent - in January, the latest month for which final numbers are available. That was up 4.4% from December and up 13.4% year over year.
Ports have not yet reported February's numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 2.07 million TEU, up 6.1% year over year. That would be the busiest February - traditionally the slowest month of the year because of Lunar New Year factory shutdowns in China - in three years. March is forecast at 2.14 million TEU, up 10.8% year over year; April at 2.13 million TEU, up 5.7%; May at 2.14 million TEU, up 2.8%; June at 2.07 million TEU, down 3.2%, and July at 1.99 million TEU, down 13.9%.
June and July's year-over-year declines would be the first since September 2023, and July's volume would be lowest since 1.93 million in March 2024. While tariffs might be a factor in the year-over-year decline, imports were elevated last summer as retailers brought in cargo ahead of what turned out to be a short strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports in October.
The first half of the year is expected to total 12.78 million TEU, up 5.7% from the same time last year. Imports during 2024 totaled 25.5 million TEU, up 14.7% from 2023 and the highest level since 2021's record of 25.8 million TEU during the pandemic.
Source: NRF