July 11, 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 1.95 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units - one 20-foot container or its equivalent - in May, the latest month for which final data is available.
That was down a sharp 11.8% from April and down 6.4% year over year. It was also the first year-over-year decline since September 2023 and the lowest volume since 1.93 million TEU in May 2024.
Ports have not yet reported numbers for June, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 2.06 million TEU, up 5.9% from May but down 3.7% year over year. July is forecast at 2.36 million TEU, up 2.1% year over year; August at 2.08 million TEU, down 10.4% year over year, and September at 1.82 million TEU, down 19.9% year over year for the lowest monthly total since 1.87 million TEU in December 2023.
October is forecast at 1.81 million TEU, down 19.2% year over year, and November at 1.7 million TEU, down 21.3% for the lowest total since 1.78 million TEU in April 2023. While the falling aggregative totals in August through November are related to tariffs, the large year-over-year percentage declines are partly because imports in late 2024 were elevated due to concerns about East Coast and Gulf Coast port strikes.
The current forecast would bring the first half of 2025 to 12.63 million TEU, up 4.5% year over year. That's better than the 12.54 million TEU forecast last month, but still below the 12.78 million TEU forecast earlier this year before the April tariffs announcement.
Source: NRF