U.S. container import volumes increased slightly in August compared to the previous month, consistent pre-pandemic peak-season patterns, according to Descartes Systems Group’s September Global Shipping Report.
The report shows that U.S. container import volumes in August 2023 rose by 0.4% from July 2023, totaling 2,196,268 TEUs. Compared to August 2022, TEU volume decreased by 13.2%, but increased by 2.5% from pre-pandemic August 2019 levels. Overall, the growth in import volume during the first eight months of 2023 is within 2.1% of the same period in 2019.