U.S. container import volume remained strong in June 2024, with volumes increasing by double-digits compared to the same month last year, according to Descartes Systems Group’s July Global Shipping Report.
However, June’s container import volume declined by 2.1% from May 2024, totaling 2,297,979 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Despite this month-over-month dip, the year-over-year growth of containerized imports stood at 10.4%.
Imports from China remained strong, with a 13.8% increase compared to June 2023, while remaining flat compared to May 2024. Notably, Chinese imports in June 2024 were down 11.2% from the August 2022 peak of 1,003,725 TEUs.
Chart courtesy Descartes
Port transit delays at most West Coast ports improved, with the Port of Long Beach seeing the greatest improvement by reducing delays by 2.5 days. In contrast, East and Gulf Coast ports experienced marginal increases in delays, with Savannah reporting the largest increase of 1 day.
The improvements come as West Coast ports saw their container import volume share rise to 44.6% in June, while East and Gulf Coast ports saw a decrease to 41.4%.
Despite the strong import performance since the start of 2024, the risk of global supply chain disruptions remains high. The ongoing Middle East conflict and stalled labor negotiations at U.S. South Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports pose significant threats to global trade stability.
“While June volumes dipped slightly from May, they maintained a strong position when compared to 2023 and pre-pandemic 2019 statistics for the same period,” said Chris Jones, EVP Industry, Descartes. “Port transit delays remain lower despite the continued significantly higher container import volumes. However, the potential for trade disruptions remains high with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and pending ILA contract negotiations.”
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the U.S. has not given up its maximum pressure on Iran - including restrictions on sales of Iranian oil - but signaled a potential easing in enforcement to help the country rebuild.
Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan, the 14th Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, and Rear Admiral David M. Wulf have announced their departures from the USMMA leadership team...
Cheniere Energy, the leading U.S. LNG producer and exporter, has announced a positive Final Investment Decision (FID) on its Corpus Christi Midscale Trains 8 & 9 and Debottlenecking Project, significantly...
14 hours ago
Total Views: 405
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 109,302 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 109,302 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.