According to the latest data released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.3 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units - one 20-foot container or its equivalent - in July, the latest month for which final numbers are available. That was down 3.9% from a year earlier but up 3.2% from June.

Ports have not yet reported August numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 2.29 million TEU, down 1.3% year over year. September is forecast at 2.31 million TEU, up 9.6% year over year and slightly ahead of July as the busiest month of the year.

As recently as last month, it appeared that May's 2.24 million TEU would be the busiest month of 2026 as retailers brought in merchandise early ahead of potential increases in tariffs. But high import levels continued, stretching out the peak season to its traditional timing of late summer and early fall.

Cargo volume is expected to drop to 2.11 million TEU in October, but will still be up 1.7% year over year. November is forecast at 2 million TEU, down 0.9% year over year, and December at 2.03 million TEU, up 1.1% over last year. Those numbers would bring 2026 to a total of 25.7 million TEU, up 1% from last year's 25.4 million TEU. The first half of 2026 totaled 12.7 million TEU, up 1.1% from the same period in 2025.

Source: NRF

 

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