Descartes: U.S. Container Imports Surge in April as Tariff Impact Looms

U.S. container imports remained resilient in April 2025, with volumes reaching 2.4 million TEUs, marking a 1.2% increase from March and a significant 9.1% rise year-over-year.

The growth comes amid major changes in the global trade landscape, particularly the Trump Administration’s implementation of a 145% tariff on Chinese goods earlier in April.

According to the latest Descartes Global Shipping Report released today, the impressive performance represents one of the strongest Aprils on record.

Despite the new tariff measures, China maintained its position as a dominant source of U.S. imports, accounting for 33.4% of total inbound container volume. Chinese imports saw a 5.4% month-over-month increase, with key commodities including furniture, plastics, and machinery. Industry experts suggest this spike might be attributed to importers accelerating shipments ahead of the April 9 tariff implementation.

“While container import growth remained strong in April, it may be, in part, because U.S. importers are continuing to pull shipments forward ahead of new U.S. tariffs, in particular the 145% tariff on Chinese goods implemented on April 9,” said Jackson Wood, Director, Industry Strategy at Descartes.

The report highlights significant changes in sourcing diversification, with several countries experiencing substantial year-over-year growth. Vietnam led with a 32.5% increase, followed by Italy at 29.9% and Thailand at 13.4%, suggesting U.S. importers are actively exploring alternative supply sources beyond China.

A notable shift in port utilization patterns emerged in April, with major West Coast ports regaining market share. According to Descartes, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reported impressive volume increases of 13.9% and 12% respectively, while East Coast ports like Savannah and Charleston experienced declines. Descartes notes this marks a reversal from the previous month when East and Gulf Coast ports had briefly dominated volumes for the first time in nine months.

Port efficiency has also improved significantly, with transit time delays reaching their lowest levels since Descartes began tracking these metrics in 2021.

It’s worth noting that some industry experts question the accuracy of Descartes’ figures. John McCown, publisher of the John McCown Container Report, has raised concerns about Descartes’ reporting methodology, citing a 4.3% standard deviation between their estimates and official port counts during the latter half of 2024.

Looking ahead, industry observers anticipate that the full impact of the new Chinese tariffs may become more apparent in May’s figures, as the April numbers likely include shipments that were already in transit when the tariffs took effect.

“Since the new elevated tariffs do not apply to goods already in transit when the tariffs were implemented, the tariff impact may be reflected more significantly in May container import volumes,” Wood noted.

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