In April, inbound cargo at major U.S. container gateways decreased, as detailed in the newest Global Port Tracker report issued by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
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During that month, the ports moved 2.05 million TEUs. This amount was 5.1% lower than March and 7.3% below April 2025. The data does not include the Port of New York and New Jersey, which has yet to release its April numbers.
Even with the drop, the NRF forecasts a short-lived uptick in imports for May and June. Retailers are speeding up shipments to hedge against possible tariff hikes and rising fuel expenses.
Jonathan Gold, NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy, stated that elevated costs and geopolitical instability continue to dampen import demand. Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates, pointed out that June will gain from a softer comparison with the prior year, when imports fell after fresh tariffs were enacted. He also remarked that climbing shipping costs and tariff worries keep supply chains under strain.
The Global Port Tracker predicts May imports will reach 2.14 million TEUs, a 9.7% year-over-year increase. June is expected to see 2.25 million TEUs. After that, imports are anticipated to fall again in the second half of the year.
July is forecast at 2.19 million TEUs, down 8.4% from a year earlier. August is projected at 2.12 million TEUs, a decline of 8.6%. September is estimated at 2.06 million TEUs, down 2.2%. October is seen at 2.08 million TEUs, nearly flat compared with last year. Although later months are expected to be weaker, first-half imports are projected to total 12.6 million TEUs. That would mark a 0.6% gain over the first six months of 2025.