Descartes Releases October Global Shipping Report: U.S. Container Imports Reach Highest September Volume on Record

Descartes Systems Group released its October Global Shipping Report, highlighting U.S. container imports reaching a record-high September volume. In September, U.S. imports totaled 2,546,261 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), marking the highest volume on record for the month. China-origin imports increased by 4.5% month-over-month to 924,454 TEUs. West Coast ports gained market share, while several East and Gulf Coast gateways experienced declines. Port transit delays rose at eight of the top 10 ports.

Despite a month-over-month volume dip of 2.2%, September's import volumes set a new record for the month, surpassing the previous September high by 10.3%. Pledging a 24.8% increase compared to September 2019, U.S. container imports in the first nine months of 2026 rose slightly by 0.8% compared to the same period in 2025. This marks the first time this year that cumulative volumes posted a gain over 2025.

China imports accounted for 36.3% of total U.S. container imports in September, up from 34.0% in August. These imports were driven by plastics (HS-39), representing 14.6% of China-origin volume, followed by furniture and bedding (HS-94) at 13.4%, and toys and sporting goods (HS-95) at around 10%. The September imports from the top 10 CoOs remained nearly unchanged month-over-month.

"While record September import volumes demonstrate that U.S. maritime trade remains remarkably strong despite persistent trade and geopolitical pressures," said Jackson Wood, VP of Product Management, Trade Regulations at Descartes. "However, strong demand is coinciding with rising port delays, evolving tariff requirements, and continued risk across critical shipping corridors.

For importers, maintaining visibility into changing costs, capacity, and trade conditions, and having the flexibility to adjust sourcing and routing decisions accordingly, remains essential."