Retailers forecast U.S. imports to stay elevated through 2026 after breakout peak season
U.S. port imports are expected to slow through year-end after peaking in September, NRF says.
Import volumes at major U.S. container ports are expected to ease through the end of 2026 after September marked the busiest month of the year. That would cap an extended shipping peak driven by tariff changes and sustained consumer spending.
Ports tracked by the National Retail Federation handled 2.37 million twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, of loaded imports in September. That was an increase of 3.4% from August and 12.6% from a year earlier.
September was also the third-busiest month since the report began tracking imports, behind only May 2022, when volume reached 2.4 million TEUs, and July 2025, at 2.39 million, according to the report.
“U.S. ports have seen high volume levels throughout this year’s longer-than-usual peak season and numbers are still strong even as the season winds down,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy, in the release.
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