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U.S. Container Imports Hit September Record at 2.55 Million TEUs, Descartes Says

U.S. ocean container imports rose 10.3% from a year earlier in September to a record 2.55 million TEUs for the month, driven by a 21.2% jump in shipments from China, according to Descartes Systems Group data reported by Reuters.

By admin Oct. 8, 2026 · 9:40 PM ET 1 min read

An aerial view of a large container port with rows of stacked shipping containers, yellow cargo cranes and a container ship docked at the terminal.

U.S. ocean container imports climbed to a September record, according to data from supply-chain technology provider Descartes Systems Group cited by Reuters.

Import volume reached 2.55 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in September, up 10.3% from the same month a year earlier, Reuters reported. Analysts often watch container import figures as a gauge of consumer demand, economic health and the effects of trade policy.

China drove the increase

Shipments originating in China rose 21.2% from a year earlier to 924,454 TEUs, accounting for 36.3% of total U.S. container imports in September, according to the Descartes figures reported by Reuters. Retail categories commonly sold by large U.S. chains — including plastic goods, furniture and bedding, and toys and sporting goods — made up a large share of the China-origin cargo.

For the first nine months of 2026 combined, total U.S. container import volume was up 0.8% compared with the same period in 2025, according to Reuters.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters.

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