{
  "id": 19348698,
  "title": "Retailers forecast U.S. imports to stay elevated through 2026 after breakout peak season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/retailers-forecast-u-s-imports-to-stay-elevated-through-2026-after",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-10T14:36:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "FreightWaves",
    "slug": "freightwaves",
    "url": "https://www.freightwaves.com/news/retailers-forecast-u-s-imports-to-stay-elevated-through-2026-after-breakout-peak-season"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "U.S. retailers anticipate elevated imports through 2026 following a peak season in September, according to a report by the National Retail Federation. September saw the busiest month for container ports, with 2.37 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of imported goods. This marked a 3.4% increase from August and a 12.6% rise compared to September 2025. The report states that September ranks third in busiest months since tracking began, only behind May 2022 and July 2025. Jonathan Gold, NRF's vice president for supply chain and customs policy, noted that ports have experienced high volume levels throughout this year's extended peak season, even as the end nears. Despite the delays, most holiday merchandise has already arrived, and retailers are working with transportation partners to keep shipments moving. However, labor uncertainty at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach poses a concern. Employers and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26 have reached a short-term contract extension, but a long-term settlement remains outstanding. Although the extended peak was initially expected to fade after the Supreme Court overturned high tariffs, new tariffs introduced in the second quarter led to another wave of imports. The report projects that imports will remain above year-earlier levels through December, with October forecast at 2.26 million TEUs, up 9.1% year over year, followed by November at 2.05 million TEUs, up 1.2%, and December at 2.03 million TEUs, up 1.3%. Full-year imports at the covered ports are projected to reach approximately 26 million TEUs, a 2% increase from 2025. The outlook softens in early 2027, with January imports forecast at 2.04 million TEUs, down 3% from a year earlier, followed by February at 1.89 million, down 0.5%, and March at 1.92 million, down 11.2%.",
  "summary": "U.S. port imports are expected to slow through year-end after peaking in September, NRF says. The post Retailers forecast U.S. imports to stay elevated through 2026 after breakout peak season appeared first on FreightWaves .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}