Port Tracker report: Containerized imports to tumble from July through September

Monthly import volume at major U.S. ports is projected to remain below last year’s levels from late summer into early fall despite anticipated bump ups in May and June, according to the latest Global Port Tracker report released late last week by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates. 
 
“The numbers show a year-over-year increase for the next two months, but that’s only because of the sharp fall-off in imports after ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs were announced in April 2025,” said NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold in a press release. “With inflation rising and consumer confidence falling among global economic uncertainty driven by the conflict in Iran, the overall trend of lower imports is expected to continue after that.” 
 
Retailers have been cautious about building up inventories amid ongoing economic uncertainty, said Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett.
 
“Containerized imports in the first quarter were down year over year, and forward demand is weakening," he said. 
 
U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker are forecasted to handle 2.17 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in May, which would be an 11.1% gain versus import volume in May 2025. June import volume is anticipated to rise 8.2% year over year to 2.13 million TEUs. 

But then, import volume is expected to decline in each of the next three months thusly: July, by 7.8% to 2.2 million TEUs; August, by 5.5% to 2.19 million TEUs; and September, by 1.3% to 2.08 million TEUs. 

“Those numbers would bring the first half of 2026 to 12.59 million TEUs, up 0.5% from the same period in 2025, thanks, in part, to the May and June increases,” NRF and Hackett Associates officials said.