May 13, 2025
According to the latest data released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.15 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units - one 20-foot container or its equivalent - in March, the latest month for which final data is available. That was up 5.5% from February and up 11.3% year over year.
Ports have not yet reported April's numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 2.2 million TEU, up 9.1% year over year. May is forecast at 1.81 million TEU, down 12.9% year over year to end 19 consecutive months of year-over-year growth. June is forecast at 1.71 million TEU, the lowest volume since March 2023 and a 20.2% drop year over year. July is forecast at 1.77 million TEU, down 23.4% year over year; August at 1.82 million TEU, down 21.5%, and September at 1.79 million TEU, down 21.2%.
Before the latest round of tariffs was announced, April was forecast at 2.13 million TEU, up 5.7% year over year; 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%.
The current forecast would bring the first half of 2025 to 12.13 million TEU, up only 0.3% year over year rather than the total of 12.78 million TEU, up 5.7% year over year, that was forecast before the April tariffs announcement.
Imports have been elevated since last summer, first as retailers brought in cargo ahead of an October strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports and then in anticipation of an escalation of tariffs after the November elections. Imports during 2024 totaled 25.5 million TEU, up 14.7% from 2023 and the highest volume since 2021's record 25.8 million TEU during the pandemic.
Source: NRF