15 August 2025, Friday
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Retailers expect a sharp drop in US container imports for the rest of 2025 as new tariffs take effect, reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.
US container imports are projected to decline 5.6 per cent in 2025, or 1.4 million TEU fewer than last year, according to the National Retail Federation. The group said monthly volumes will begin falling in August, with sharper drops expected through the autumn.
Despite early-year uncertainty, imports at major US ports reached 12.53 million TEU in the first half, up 3.6 per cent year-on-year. However, reciprocal tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump are now taking effect, prompting retailers to front-load inventory ahead of a temporary pause in US-China trade measures.
"Tariffs are beginning to drive up consumer prices, and fewer imports will eventually mean fewer goods on store shelves," said NRF Vice President Jonathan Gold. He called for binding trade agreements that lower tariffs to support small businesses.
Imports surged to 2.2 million TEU in July and are expected to reach 2.3 million TEU in August. But volumes are forecast to fall to between 1.7 and 1.8 million TEU monthly from September, down 19 to 21 per cent compared with last year.
Analyst Ben Hacker of Hacker Associates said holiday inventories will already be in warehouses by late September, and US exporters may face unsold stock as reciprocal tariffs take hold abroad.
The NRF estimates total 2025 imports at 24.1 million TEU, down from 25.5 million last year, returning to pre-pandemic levels.
