U.S. Container Imports Hit 2026 High in September as Extended Peak Season Winds Down

U.S. container imports reached their highest level of the year in September, capping an unusually long peak shipping season that has kept major ports busy since the spring despite tariffs, inflation and growing pressure on supply chains.

Ports covered by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates’ Global Port Tracker handled 2.37 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of loaded imports in September, up 12.6% from a year earlier and 3.4% from August.

The total made September the third-busiest month since Global Port Tracker began keeping records, trailing only July 2025’s 2.39 million TEUs and May 2022’s 2.4 million TEUs.

The latest figures also show just how much this year’s import season has defied expectations. As gCaptain reported last month, NRF had expected August to mark the year’s peak, with September volumes projected to decline slightly to 2.28 million TEUs. Instead, September came in roughly 90,000 TEUs above that forecast.

“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 vice president for supply chain and customs policy.

The sustained volumes have not come without problems. Gold said some ports, particularly on the West Coast, have experienced backups as containers wait to be transferred to rail.

Labor uncertainty has also emerged at the nation’s busiest container port complex. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s Local 26, which represents roughly 250 watchmen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, has been negotiating a new contract with the Pacific Maritime Association.

The two sides extended their existing agreement through November 20 on Friday, averting an immediate strike but leaving the longer-term dispute unresolved.

Despite those challenges, Gold said retailers are well positioned for the holiday shopping season, with most seasonal merchandise already in the country.

The extended peak season has been driven in large part by changing U.S. tariff policies, which have repeatedly prompted retailers to adjust the timing of their shipments.

Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said the import surge that began in 2025 appeared to be winding down earlier this year after the Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs.

But new tariffs introduced during the second quarter triggered another wave of imports beginning in May, which continued through mid-October.

“Consumer spending supported this influx, with households continuing to buy despite rising inflation,” Hackett said.

With the peak season now winding down, Global Port Tracker expects imports to decline through the final months of 2026, although volumes are still projected to remain above year-earlier levels.

October imports are estimated at 2.26 million TEUs, up 9.1% from a year earlier. November is forecast at 2.05 million TEUs, up 1.2%, followed by 2.03 million TEUs in December, up 1.3%.

For the full year, imports are now expected to reach 26 million TEUs, a 2% increase over 2025’s 25.4 million TEUs. That represents another upward revision from NRF’s October forecast, which projected 25.8 million TEUs for the year.

The outlook points to a slower start in 2027. January imports are forecast at 2.04 million TEUs, down 3% year over year, followed by 1.89 million TEUs in February, down 0.5%, and 1.92 million TEUs in March, down 11.2%.

Global Port Tracker tracks loaded container imports at major U.S. ports on the East, West and Gulf coasts, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Savannah and Houston.

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