U.S. Container Import Volumes Rebound Modestly in June but China Volumes Remain Depressed

Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released its July Global Shipping Report for logistics and supply chain professionals.

In June 2025, U.S. container import volumes rose by a modest 1.8% over the previous month’s sharp 9.7% decline. Imports from China were nearly flat (0.4%) in June compared to May but were down 28.3% compared to June 2024.

Port dynamics shifted again in June, with top West Coast ports regaining the lead in market share over top East and Gulf Coast ports by a 6.7% margin.

Overall, port transit time delays improved substantially in June, led by the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

U.S. container import volumes stabilize in June after May drop

June 2025 U.S. container import volumes were 2,217,675 TEUs—a slight 1.8% increase over May (see Figure 1). Compared to June 2024, volumes were down 3.5% but still 12.9% above June 2019, signaling structural demand strength despite ongoing headwinds. The rebound marks a stabilization in import activity after May’s sharp contraction and may suggest that U.S. importers are adapting their supply chains amid ongoing trade volatility. For the first six months of the year, total imports were up 3.8% compared to the same period in 2024, although growth has slowed compared to earlier in the year.

Figure 1. U.S. Container Import Volume Year-over-Year Comparison

Source: Descartes Datamyne™

U.S. imports from China were up a slight 0.4% in June (639,300 TEUs) compared to May (637,001 TEUs) but were down a significant 28.3% year-over-year. In addition, China’s share of total U.S. containerized imports fell to 28.8% in June, hitting a four-year low and down substantially from the high of 41.5% in February 2022. Among other top countries of origin, several Southeast Asian nations posted robust volume growth in June over May, including Vietnam at 7.7% followed by Indonesia at 17.3%, Thailand at 8.6%, and Italy at 9.0%, suggesting continued momentum for diversifying sourcing strategies (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. May 2025 to June 2025 Comparison of U.S. Import Volumes from Top 10 Countries of Origin

Source: Descartes Datamyne™

“While U.S. container imports posted a small rebound in June, the effects of U.S. policy shifts with China in particular are visible for a second consecutive month,” said Jackson Wood, Director of Industry Strategy at Descartes (pictured right). “As U.S. importers continue to assess and adapt their supply chains, two key trade deadlines—the July 9 expiration of the pause on sweeping Liberation Day tariffs and the August 10 expiration of the U.S.–China trade truce—may create further pressure on businesses to bolster supply chain resilience in the wake of a quickly fluctuating trade environment.”

The June report is Descartes’ forty-seventh installment since beginning its analysis in August 2021. To read past reports, learn more about the key economic and logistics factors driving global shipping, and review strategies to help address challenges in the near-, short-, and long-term, visit Descartes’ Global Shipping Resource Center.

 

About Descartes

Descartes is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.