U.S. container Imports dip in September after summer surge, reports Descartes

The September edition of the Global Shipping Report, which was recently issued by Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings, fell short of volume levels seen in August but still growing on a year-to-date level.

This the 50th edition of the Global Shipping Report, going back to its debut in August 2021.  

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. 

With September preceded by very strong July and August volumes, it represents the fifth-highest volume month of 2025, the report said. And with volumes up nearly 2% year-to-date, it observed that it underscores the potential impact of frontloading activity seen earlier in 2025, as well as relatively resilient overall demand in the face of persistent policy and economic uncertainty. Descartes said that September typically trails August, in terms of volumes, adding that the 8.4% sequential decline potentially highlights heightened sensitivity to tariff deadlines as importers continue to adjust shipment flows in response to policy changes.

“After two months of elevated volumes, U.S. container imports dropped in September, led by a significant pullback in volumes from China,” said Jackson Wood, Director of Industry Strategy at Descartes. “September’s decline underscores the combined impact of seasonal softening and tariff-related caution. With the 90-day tariff truce between the two countries set to expire in mid-November, China’s share of U.S. imports remains sensitive to both policy outcomes and underlying market dynamics.”

U.S.-bound imports from China, at 762,772 TEU, were down 12.3% sequentially and were off 22.9% annually, and were down 25.4% compared to the record-high, set in July 2024, at 1,022,913, with China’s share of total U.S. imports down to 33.0%, below August’s 34.5%. The report noted that imports from China are dealing with additional pressures, including the new Section 301 vessel fees, as well as the expiration of the U.S.-China tariff pause on November 10.

U.S.-bound imports, for the top 10 countries of origin, were off 9.4%, from August to September, coming in at a cumulative 169,126 TEU, with China alone down 106,751 TEU. Other nations seeing significant declines included: Italy (-15.1%), South Korea (-14.1%), Germany (-11.6%), Hong Kong (-11.2%), and Taiwan (-10.2%).

Other key findings in the report included:

• Container volumes at the top 10 U.S. ports were down 7.9%, or 169,455 TEU, from August to September, with the Port of Long Beach down 11.4%, the Port of Baltimore down 12.6%, and Savannah down 9.1%, with the lone port posting gains being the Port of Tacoma, up 4.7%; and
• East and Gulf Coast ports increased their market share to 41.3%, from 40.8% in August, with West Coast ports down 0.2%, to 43.9%, with the top 10 ports handling 85.2% of total volumes, up from August’s 84.9%