August 12, 2026
According to the latest data released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.23 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units � one 20-foot container or its equivalent � in June, the latest month for which final numbers are available.
That was up 13.2% from a year earlier, when imports were down sharply because of last year's "Liberation Day" tariffs, but down 0.7% from May. The first half of 2026 totaled 12.7 million TEU, up 1.1% from the same period in 2025.
Ports have not yet reported July numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 2.21 million TEU, down 7.6% year over year.
August is forecast at 2.22 million TEU, down 4.2% year over year. Imports are expected to decline steadily each month for most of the rest of the year, although volumes will be above 2025. September is forecast at 2.16 million TEU, up 2.8% year over year; October at 2.13 million TEU, up 2.7% year over year; November at 2.03 million TEU, up 0.3%, and December should pick up slightly at 2.06 million TEU, up 2.5% over last year.
While ports have remained busy this summer and spread out the peak season, this year's busiest month appears to have arrived in May, when they handled 2.24 million TEU. The peak shipping season, which historically came in late summer or fall, has become earlier and smoother in recent years amid reasons ranging from supply chain disruptions to expected tariff increases.
Source: NRF