US Container Imports Hit September Record

U.S. container imports totaled 2,546,261 TEUs in September 2026, the highest September volume on record, according to Descartes Systems Group's October Global Shipping Report released October 8, 2026. Volumes rose 10.3% from September 2025 and 24.8% from September 2019. China-origin imports hit 924,454 TEUs, up 21.2% year over year and 4.5% month over month, accounting for 36.3% of the total, up from 34.0% in August. Plastics, furniture and bedding, and toys and sporting goods led China shipments. First-nine-month 2026 volume was up 0.8% from 2025, the year's first cumulative gain. Month-over-month volume dipped 2.2%. West Coast ports gained share while several East and Gulf Coast gateways fell; India and Taiwan posted gains while seven of the top 10 origin countries declined. CONTESTED: Sources do not dispute the TEU totals. Jackson Wood, VP, Product Management, Trade Regulations at Descartes, said, "Record September import volumes show that U.S. maritime trade remains remarkably strong despite persistent trade and geopolitical pressures." He said strong demand is coinciding with rising port delays, evolving tariff requirements and continued risk across critical shipping corridors, and that importers need visibility into costs, capacity and trade conditions plus flexibility to adjust sourcing and routing. Reuters reported the data. Import volumes are watched as indicators of economic activity, consumer demand and trade-policy effects.