US port imports are expected to stay above 2.2 million TEUs for the month of August before easing through most of the remainder of 2026, according to the latest Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates. The forecast projects a gradual decline in volumes while maintaining levels higher than those seen last year.
The port of Long Beach reported strong June performance with imports up 11% year on year to 387,025 TEUs, marking the third-busiest June on record for that port. Meanwhile, Port Houston handled a record first half with 2.23 million TEUs, an increase of 3% compared to the same period in 2025.
According to Descartes Systems Group, U.S. containerized imports from China rose by 7.2% in July to their highest monthly level since July 2025, totalling 2,508,310 TEUs. This increase reflects typical month-over-month seasonal growth and underlines the resilience of U.S. maritime imports despite ongoing trade policy uncertainties and geopolitical risks.
The report highlights that China accounted for a significant portion of this growth, with other notable increases coming from Hong Kong (9.5%), Germany (11.1%), Japan (10.9%), South Korea (5.1%), India (3.8%), Vietnam (1.0%), and Thailand remaining essentially unchanged.
Impact of Tariffs and Geopolitical Risks
The July import growth shows that demand remains resilient amidst a complex operating environment, as Jackson Wood, Director of Industry Strategy at Descartes, noted: "As changing tariffs, elevated Middle East maritime risk, tighter Panama Canal draft restrictions, and continued Red Sea disruption continue to affect costs, capacity, and schedule reliability, having flexible sourcing and routing strategies will help U.S. importers respond quickly as conditions evolve."
The NRF projects full-year imports of 25.5 million TEUs in 2026, up just 0.1% from the previous year, indicating a stable but cautious outlook for the maritime trade sector.