TEU

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.

POLA reported that August volume was up 3% annually, coming in at 828,016 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units). This marked the first growth month out of the last 13 months through August. The Port of Long Beach reported that total August volume, at 682,312 TEU, was off 15.4% annually.

From July to August, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes eked out a 0.4% annual increase, coming in at 2,196,268 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), while posting a 13.2% annual decline and up 2.5% compared to pre-pandemic August 2019. And on a year-to-date basis through August, imports are down 2.1% compared to the same period in 2019.

United States-bound retail container import volumes appear to be trending in the right direction, with monthly volumes pegged to be around 2 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) in September, for the second consecutive month.

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.

From May to June, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes were off 0.7%. coming in at 2,081,793 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), while falling 16.1% compared to June 2022 and rising 6.0% compared to June 2019, prior to the onset of the pandemic. What’s more, the 0.7% May to June decrease represents the lowest decrease for that period going back to 2017.

POLA reported that total May volume came in at 779,140 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), representing a 19.5% annual decline. And the Port of Long Beach reported that May volume fell 14.9% annually, coming in at 758,225 TEU.

On an annual basis, May U.S. container import volumes saw a 3.8% increase, from April to May, coming in at 2,097,813 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) and were down 20.0% annually while seeing a 0.5% annual increase when compared to pre-pandemic May 2019. What’s more, Descartes observed that through the first five months of 2023, with a 1.3% difference for the same period in each year.

In early 2022, the Port of Long Beach (POLB) was dealing with a long queue of inbound vessels waiting to be unloaded and waiting offshore, with the tally, at one point, up to 109 vessels, observed POLB Executive Director Mario Cordero on a recent media conference call. By the end of 2022, though, that queue, he said, “was long gone," as the import surge had abated, coupled with United States supply chain activity returning to more normal levels of activity and, in some...

Total POLA volume—at 688,110 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) fell 22% compared to April 2022, which marked the second highest-volume month on record for POLA. And he Port of Long Beach reported that total April volume—at 656,049 TEU—was down 20.1% compared to April 2022, the port’s highest-volume April on record.

On a year-to-date basis, April’s 15% decrease was preceded by an 11% January decrease, a 20% February decrease, and a 23% March decrease. Home furnishings imports fell 33% in April, compared to a 45% drop-off in March, and household appliances and consumer electronics saw matching 13% decreases. Textiles and apparel were off 37% annually, compared to a 37% March decrease.

A recently-issued report from San Francisco-based freight forwarding and customs brokerage services provider Flexport examined the inroads being made on nearshoring initiatives in Mexico through the lens of container throughput at the landlocked Laredo, Texas port, which sits between the United States and Mexico.

Descartes said that U.S. container import volumes saw a 9.0% increase, to 2,020,197 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), from March to April, which topped a 6.9% increase, from February to March. The firm explained that U.S. container import volumes were paced by what it said was a surge in imports from China. Those imports alone posted a 26.7% increase over March.