Imports

From September to October, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes increased 4.7%, coming in at 2,307,918 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), which it said was inconsistent with the Peak Season decline that traditionally starts in the August timeframe, while rising 3.9% annually.

41 U.S. ports will share in $653 million in new investment from the federal government, the Biden administration announced last week.

The story of the economy since the onset of the pandemic has been the resilience of consumers and how consumption has powered the economy. That was the word from Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based National Retail Federation (NRF) on a media conference call hosted by the Port of Los Angeles this week.

The Port of Los Angeles reported that total September volume, at 748,440 TEU, was up 5% annually, marking its second consecutive month of annual growth. The Port of Long Beach reported that September marked its highest-volume September on record, with volume at 829,429 TEU, increasing 11.8% annually, and topping the previous September high in 2020 by 78,849 TEU.

September imports, at 2.54 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), increased 1% annually as Peak Season begins in earnest. On a year-to-date basis through September, imports are down 13% annually, at 21.38 million TEU.  

From August to September, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes saw a 0.3% increase, coming in at 2,203,452 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which the report observed differs from the decline that typically occurs over the last third of the calendar year.

For August, the most recent month for which data is available, Port Tracker reported that import volume, for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.96 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which is up 2.3% over July, and down 13.5% annually, marking the highest monthly volume on a year-to-date basis, while falling short of a projected 2 million TEU, for the month, in the report’s previous edition.   

A bump in imports to the U.S. could be on the horizon, following a strong back-to-school season that indicate cargo volumes could reach 2 million TEUs during September and October.

August imports, at 2.88 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), were down 12% annually, and were ahead of July’s 2.53 million TEU and June’s 2.43 million TEU. This marked the 13th consecutive month of annual declines. On a year-to-date basis through August, imports are down 14.8% annually, at 18.82 million TEU.

To get a better sense of how things are shaping up for the 2023 Peak Season, Newsroom Notes caught up with two industry experts, representing trucking and ocean cargo, respectively, to get a sense of where things currently stand.

Total POLA volume, at 684,291 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), saw a 26.85% annual decline compared to the record-setting July 2022, at 935,423 TEU. The Port of Long Beach reported that total volume came in at 578,249 TEU, down 26.4% annually, compared to July 2022, which POLB said was its highest-volume July in its history.

July imports, at 2.53 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) were off 10% annually, while topping June’s 2.43 million TEU tally by 4%. This marked the 12th consecutive month of annual declines, with the caveat that it represented the slowest rate of decline since September 2022, said the firm. On a year-to-date basis through July, imports are down 15% annually, at 16.29 million TEU.

From June to July, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes saw a 5.1% increase, to 2,187,810 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which it said is consistent with import gains seen in non-pandemic years, for Peak Season.

June imports came in at 2.43 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), matching May’s tally, and was down 11% compared to June 2022’s 2.74 million TEU.

Things like lower rates and excess capacity across various modes, coupled with still-high—but declining—inflation and inventory levels, as well as an ongoing shift from goods spending to increased spending on services-based activities by consumers. And these things, among others, are things to keep an eye on, as we approach the 2023 Peak Season, based on the findings of a recently-conducted Logistics Management reader survey of more than 100 freight transportation, logistics, and supply chain stakeholders.