U.S. Imports Soar for Third Straight Month

U.S. container imports exceeded 2.5 million TEUs for the second time in 2024, reaching a total of 2,520,935 TEUs in September. This represents a 1.7% increase from August 2024 and a notable 14.4% rise compared to September of the previous year.

Compared to pre-pandemic levels in September 2019, imports were up by an impressive 23.5%. This marks the third consecutive month of import volumes surpassing 2.4 million TEUs, a figure that contributed to port congestion and delays during the pandemic.

Similar to trends seen in 2023, the increase in September 2024 contrasts with the typical expectation of month-over-month declines. This month recorded the highest volume for September in the past six years, slightly surpassing September 2021 by 1.2%.