According to the latest data released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.96 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units one 20-foot container or its equivalent in June, the latest month for which final data is available. That was up 0.7% from May but down 8.4% year over year.

Ports have not yet reported numbers for July, but Global Port Tracker projected that the month surged to 2.3 million TEU as retailers brought in merchandise ahead of this month's tariffs. That would be the highest number in a year, up 17.3% from June and down just 0.5% year over year.

August is forecast at 2.2 million TEU, down 5% year over year, and September at 1.83 million TEU, down 19.5% year over year. October is forecast at 1.82 million TEU, down 18.9% year over year; and November at 1.71 million TEU, down 21.1% for the lowest total since 1.78 million TEU in April 2023. December is forecast at 1.72 million TEU, down 19.3% year over year. While the falling aggregate totals in September through December are related to pulling cargo forward during the first half of the year due 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 first half of 2025 totaled 12.53 million TEU, up 3.6% year over year. Volume forecast for the remainder of the year would bring 2025 to a total of 24.1 million TEU, down 5.6% from 25.5 million TEU in 2024.

 

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