ATLANTA, Georgia, September 9, 2025 -- Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released its September Global Shipping Report for logistics and supply chain professionals. In August 2025, U.S. container import volumes were 2,519,722 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), down 3.9% from July but up 1.6% over August 2024. Despite a second consecutive month of elevated volumes, port transit time delays increased only modestly at top U.S. ports in August, as infrastructure again absorbed the added pressure without major disruption. Imports from China eased to 869,523 TEUs in August, down 5.8% from July and 10.8% below August 2024. Overall, The August update of the logistics metrics monitored by Descartes suggests that, while global supply chains continue to grapple with ongoing geopolitical disruptions, trade policy developments are also creating sustained trade uncertainty.
U.S. container imports remain elevated for a second consecutive month, easing slightly from July’s peak.
At 2,519,722 TEUs, August 2025 volumes eclipsed the 2.4M threshold that has historically created pressure on maritime infrastructure. It’s the second consecutive month of elevated volumes, the second-highest monthly total this year, and is only narrowly below the record level 2,622,465 TEUs set in May 2022 (see Figure 1). While volumes are consistent with seasonal levels in August, they also underscore the probable sensitivity of U.S. importers to ongoing tariff timing. For the first eight months of the year, volumes are tracking 3.3% ahead of the same period in 2024, reinforcing the longer-term trend of resilient demand despite policy uncertainty.
Figure 1. U.S. Container Import Volume Year-over-Year Comparison
Source: Descartes Datamyne™
After spiking in July, August U.S containerized imports from the top 10 countries of origin (CoOs) fell 4.4% month-over-month, posting an overall decline of 83,296 TEUs (see Figure 2). The decrease was led by China, down 53,552 TEUs (5.8%), with notable declines from South Korea (11.8%), Japan (14.5%), and Taiwan (12.9%). Smaller drops from Vietnam (0.5%), Hong Kong (1.4%), Thailand (0.6%), and Germany (1.3%) added to the softening of volumes. Offsetting gains were limited to Indonesia (5.3%) and India (1.7%).
Figure 2. July 2025 to August 2025 Comparison of U.S. Import Volumes from Top 10 Countries of Origin
Source: Descartes Datamyne™
“A second consecutive month of elevated container imports continues to call attention to the combined impact of U.S. tariff policy and seasonality on maritime trade, even as volumes from China declined,” said Jackson Wood, Director of Industry Strategy at Descartes. “While overall demand has remained resilient in the face of ongoing tariff volatility and geopolitical disruption, key tariff measures are now under legal challenge and headed to the Supreme Court, leaving U.S. importers to grapple with continued uncertainty as they weigh supply chain risks and mitigation efforts.”
Descartes began its global shipping analysis in August 2021. To read past monthly reports, learn more about the key economic and logistics factors driving global shipping, and review strategies to help address challenges in the near-, short-, and long-term, visit Descartes’ Global Shipping Resource Center.
About Descartes
Descartes is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Global Media Contact
Cara Strohack
Tel: 226-750-8050
cstrohack@descartes.com
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