Loaded container imports at major US ports reached 2.37 million twenty-foot equivalent units in September 2026, the highest monthly volume recorded this year, according to the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates’ Global Port Tracker. The total increased 3.4% from August and 12.6% from September 2025.

September became the third-busiest month since Global Port Tracker began recording import volumes, behind the 2.4 million TEUs handled in May 2022 and 2.39 million TEUs in July 2025. The final figure was also about 90,000 TEUs higher than the previous forecast of 2.28 million TEUs.

The extended peak season was linked partly to changing US tariff policies, which prompted retailers to adjust shipment schedules, while consumer spending remained strong despite inflation. High cargo volumes also caused delays at some West Coast ports, where containers reportedly waited longer for transfer to rail services.

Global Port Tracker expects import volumes to decline to 2.26 million TEUs in October, 2.05 million TEUs in November, and 2.03 million TEUs in December. Full-year imports are forecast to reach 26 million TEUs, representing an increase of 2% from the 25.4 million TEUs recorded in 2025.