This represents the third-highest September on record, and volumes for the first nine months of the year are tracking 1.9 per cent higher YoY, suggesting moderate resilience in overall demand, the Canada-headquartered provider of technology solutions for logistics and supply chain management said in a release.
China-origin imports into the United States fell to 762,772 TEUs—down by 12.3 per cent MoM and 22.9 per cent YoY, reversing the short-lived rebound observed in July and August, and highlighting importer sensitivity to tariff policy.
Port transit delays showed mixed results in September with a modest, overall improvement, indicating that US ports continue to manage throughput effectively, the company observed.
Major carriers continue to bypass the Red Sea and reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, extending Suez-linked schedules by one to two weeks. The US Liberation Day tariffs remain active, but under legal pressure, with an appeals court ruling now under review by the US Supreme Court.
At the same time, the US government shutdown has delayed key economic data releases and slowed regulatory processes tied to trade compliance, adding another layer of uncertainty, Descartes noted.
New Section 301 vessel fees taking effect October 14 may also raise shipping costs for Chinese-built or Chinese-operated vessels, further complicating import planning.
Combined with the November 10 expiration of the US-China tariff truce, these factors keep trade policy risk elevated and planning complex, even as US ports continue to demonstrate resilience under sustained volumes.
In September 2025, container volumes at the top 10 US ports declined by 7.9 per cent MoM, with a combined loss of 169,455 TEUs.
Most major gateways experienced contractions, led by more significant drops at Long Beach (11.4 per cent), Baltimore (12.6 per cent), and Savannah (9.1 per cent). Volumes also fell at Los Angeles (7.6 per cent), New York/New Jersey (8.6 per cent), Charleston (7.6 per cent), Norfolk (6.2 per cent), and Oakland (6.4 per cent).
Houston decreased modestly—down by 2 per cent MoM. In contrast, Tacoma was the only port to record growth, rising 4.7 per cent MoM. The results across the top 10 ports highlight seasonal influences, while also signalling potential caution from importers navigating tariff volatility, Descartes noted.
In September, US containerised imports from the top 10 countries of origin fell by 9.4 per cent MoM—a combined decline of 169,126 TEUs. The decrease was led by China (12.3 per cent MoM).
Significant declines were also recorded from Italy (15.1 per cent MoM), South Korea (14.1 per cent MoM), Germany (11.6 per cent MoM), Hong Kong (11.2 per cent MoM) and Taiwan (10.2 per cent MoM).
Vietnam and Thailand posted smaller pullbacks of 2.9 per cent and 3.5 per cent MoM respectively, while India fell by 5.2 per cent MoM. Indonesia was nearly flat, easing by just 0.2 per cent MoM.
US containerised imports from the top 10 countries of origin fell by 12 per cent YoY with a combined loss of 223,521 TEUs. The decline was led by China (22.9 per cent YoY).
Additional sharp pullbacks came from South Korea (17.3 per cent YoY), Taiwan (18.1 per cent YoY) and Hong Kong (11.8 per cent YoY), with smaller decreases from Germany (4.4 per cent YoY) and Italy (2.5 per cent YoY).
In contrast, several Southeast and South Asian origin countries continued to expand market share. Indonesia grew by 18.6 per cent YoY, while Thailand rose by 11.5 per cent YoY, Vietnam by 7 per cent YoY and India by 5.2 per cent YoY.
September’s losses erased the modest 0.7-per cent growth recorded in August, underscoring how China’s volatility continues to shape overall US import dynamics even as diversification toward South and Southeast Asia persists, Descartes added.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)
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