U.S. container imports remained elevated in August 2025, even as volumes from China declined and trade policy turmoil added fresh uncertainty, according to Descartes Systems Group’s September Global Shipping Report.

Read also: U.S. Imports Drop as Tariffs Slow Down Trade

American ports handled 2,519,722 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in August, down 3.9% from July but still 1.6% higher than August 2024. It marked the second straight month of imports above the 2.4 million TEU threshold that traditionally strains maritime infrastructure. Despite the pressure, transit time delays at major U.S. ports rose only modestly, highlighting the system’s resilience.

China imports continued to soften, falling to 869,523 TEUs in August — a 5.8% month-over-month drop and 10.8% below last year. Overall, imports from the top 10 countries declined 4.4% compared with July, led by sharp pullbacks from South Korea (11.8%), Japan (14.5%), and Taiwan (12.9%). Only India (up 1.7%) and Indonesia (up 5.3%) posted gains.

For the first eight months of 2025, total U.S. containerized imports are running 3.3% ahead of the same period in 2024, underscoring the resilience of demand despite ongoing volatility in global trade.

“A second consecutive month of elevated container imports continues to call attention to the combined impact of U.S. tariff policy and seasonality on maritime trade, even as volumes from China declined,” said Jackson Wood, Director of Industry Strategy at Descartes. He added that while demand remains firm, legal battles over key tariff measures — now headed to the Supreme Court — are fueling uncertainty for importers navigating supply chain risks.