TEU

November imports, at 2.63 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), decreased 3.2% annually, falling for the third consecutive month, and were down sequentially compared to October’s 2.71 million TEU.

November U.S.-bound container import volume—at 2,183,048 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)—were off 5.4% compared to October and saw a 7.5% annual decline.

For October, the most recent month for which data is available, U.S. imports, for the ports surveyed in the report, came in at 2.07 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), excluding the Port of Charleston, which marked a 1.8% sequential decline and a 7.9% annual decline.  

POLA reported that October volume, at 848,431 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), fell 6.25% annually, and POLB reported that October volume, at 839,671 TEU, fell 14.9% annually, compared to October 2024, the port’s strongest month on record in its 114 years of operations.

October imports, at 2.71 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) fell 3.4% annually, again seeing a sequential decline compared to September’s 2.72 million TEU, August’s 2.9 million TEU, and July’s 3.01 million TEU.

October U.S.-bound container import volume—at 2,306,687 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)—were off 0.1% compared to September’s 2,307,933 TEU and saw a 7.5% annual decline.

For September, the most recent month for which data is available, U.S. imports, for the ports surveyed in the report, came in at 2.1 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), which marked a 9.3% sequential decline and a 7.4% annual decline.  

The Port of Los Angeles reported that total volume, at 883,053 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), fell 7.5% annually, and the Port of Long Beach reported that total September volume, at 797,537 TEU, was off 3.9% annually.

The firm reported that September imports, at 2.72 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), fell 5.8% annually, down from August’s 2.9 million TEU July’s 3.01 million TEU (which topped the 3 million TEU mark for the first time and came on the heels of a June decline, coupled with importers looking to optimize sourcing following the White House’s reciprocal tariffs related to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on most U.S. trading partners, which went into effect on August 7).

September U.S.-bound container import volume—at 2,307,933 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)—fell 8.4% compared to August’s 2,519,722 TEU, the second-highest monthly total in 2025 and close to the May 2022 monthly record, as well as the third-highest September tally on record, and was also down 8.4% annually. On a year-to-date basis through September, volumes are up 1.9% compared to the same period a year ago, which Descartes said suggests moderate resilience in overall demand. 

For the first half of 2025, Port Tracker said that total volume, at 12.53 million TEU, rose 3.7% annually, with calendar year 2025 expected to be down 2.9% annually, to 25.5 million TEU.

ng off of a record-setting July, United States-bound containerized freight imports saw annual gains, albeit at a reduced pace, according to data recently issued by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

For July, the most recent month for which data is available, U.S. imports came in at 2.36 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), with the report’s authors saying that this tally excludes numbers for New York/New Jersey, Port Everglades, and Miami, marking a 20.1% gain over July, a period when importers were bringing in merchandise in advance of tariffs going into effect on August 1, while posting a 1.8% annual gain. This tally would mark the second highest-volume month on record, trailing...

July imports, at 3.01 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), headed up 3.7% annually, topping the 2.90 million TEU in July 20214, and cracking the 3 million TEU mark for the first time.

The firm reported that June imports, at 2.65 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), declined 0.8% in June, with the second quarter, at 8.02 million TEU, up 1.4% annually, following a 9.1% first quarter gain. Through the first six months of 2025, total imports came in at 16.16 million TEU, for a 4.6% annual gain.