Global Trade Intelligence

In August 2024, U.S. container imports dropped slightly from the highs seen in July 2024 but remain above the 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) mark that has historically caused stress to the U.S. maritime logistics infrastructure. August’s volume of 2,479,284 TEUs represents a 3% decline from July, which is consistent with the peak season drop seen in 2019 prior to the pandemic hitting. August volumes demonstrate robust year-on-year performance, posting a strong 12.9% increase over August 2023 and a similarly strong 15.7% increase over 2019. A second month of high container import volumes has, however, contributed to an increase in port transit delays at the majority of the top 10 U.S. ports.