U.S. container import growth slowed in June, but port congestion persists!

According to the latest monthly global port tracking report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, the number of imported containers in the United States fell in June after a record-breaking spring. The number of imported containers at major US ports is expected to slow significantly for the rest of the year.

The report showed that U.S. ports handled a total of 2.25 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent containers) in June, down 5.9% from 2.4 million TEUs in May, but up 5.5% from the same period in 2021, setting a new record for the number of imported containers in a single month since 2002. For the first half of 2022, U.S. ports handled a total of 13.5 million TEUs, up 5.5% year-on-year.

Jonathan Gold, NRF's vice president for supply chain and customs policy, said lower cargo volumes may help ease congestion at some ports, but congestion at major U.S. ports continues and global supply chain challenges are not over. Currently, the biggest concern is that labor negotiations at West Coast ports have not yet reached an agreement, which may have a huge impact on this year's holiday peak season.

Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates, said the growth rate of import containers is slowing down. Compared with 2021, the number of import containers will decline in the coming months, and the decline is expected to be greater in 2023.

According to forecasts, the number of imported containers in the United States will drop by 1.5% year-on-year to 12.8 million TEUs in the second half of 2022. For the full year, it will reach 26.3 million TEUs, a slight increase, up 2% from last year's 25.8 million TEUs.

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