August 2024 U.S. Container Imports Dip Below July’s Historic Levels but Remain High
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.
