Thursday, November 12, 2026
The news that moves freight
Tracker Checked 12 Nov, 02:38 UTC

US container imports

Key numbers

US containerized imports
2,674,808 TEU/month

▲ 128,547 · Oct 31, 2026

US imports from China
987,805 TEU/month

▲ 63,351 · Oct 31, 2026

Port of Los Angeles total
1,042,652 TEU/month

▲ 86,745 · Sep 30, 2026

Port of Long Beach total
997,177 TEU/month

▲ 77,185 · Sep 30, 2026

Over time

US containerized imports (TEU/month)
2,674,8082,400,627Jun 30, 26Oct 31, 262,400,627 TEU/month · Jun 30, 26 · added from published history2,603,709 TEU/month · Aug 31, 26 · added from published history2,546,261 TEU/month · Sep 30, 26 · added from published history2,674,808 TEU/month · Oct 31, 26
US imports from China (TEU/month)
987,805884,318Aug 31, 26Oct 31, 26884,318 TEU/month · Aug 31, 26 · added from published history924,454 TEU/month · Sep 30, 26 · added from published history987,805 TEU/month · Oct 31, 26
Port of Los Angeles total (TEU/month)
1,042,652752,520Mar 31, 26Sep 30, 26752,520 TEU/month · Mar 31, 26 · added from published history890,861 TEU/month · Apr 30, 26 · added from published history840,165 TEU/month · May 31, 26 · added from published history1,002,734 TEU/month · Jun 30, 26 · added from published history960,464 TEU/month · Jul 31, 26 · added from published history955,907 TEU/month · Aug 31, 26 · added from published history1,042,652 TEU/month · Sep 30, 26
Port of Long Beach total (TEU/month)
997,177779,331Jun 30, 26Sep 30, 26779,331 TEU/month · Jun 30, 26 · added from published history919,992 TEU/month · Aug 31, 26 · added from published history997,177 TEU/month · Sep 30, 26

Lighter points are earlier figures added from published records. Breaks in a line are gaps in the data. Download the data (CSV)

The facts

  • US containerized imports were 2,674,808 TEU in October 2026, a record month, beating the previous record of 2,622,465 TEU set in May 2022. Source: allaboutshipping.co.uk (as of 2026-10-31)
  • October 2026 imports were up 5.0% on September and 16.0% on October 2025; through the first 10 months of 2026, imports were up 2.3%. Source: allaboutshipping.co.uk (as of 2026-10-31)
  • China-origin imports rose for a fourth consecutive month to 987,805 TEU in October 2026, the highest monthly figure since January 2025. Source: descartes.com (as of 2026-10-31)
  • In October, Descartes counted Los Angeles imports down 1.4% (7,310 TEU) and Long Beach down 2.0% (10,156 TEU) from September, while top East and Gulf Coast ports gained share. Source: descartes.com (as of 2026-10-31)
  • Average transit delays across the 10 ports Descartes tracks rose from 4.2 days in June to 6.3 days in October. Source: descartes.com (as of 2026-10-31)
  • The Port of Los Angeles handled 1,042,652 TEU in September 2026, its busiest month on record, including 545,696 TEU of loaded imports. Source: portoflosangeles.org (as of 2026-09-30)
  • The Port of Long Beach moved 997,177 TEU in September 2026, including 509,390 TEU of imports. Source: ajot.com (as of 2026-09-30)

What changed

  1. Tracking began.

Why we track this

Added from the tracker list. Monthly import volumes tell forwarders how much demand is chasing vessel space, chassis and warehouse capacity, and which gateways are gaining or losing cargo. Descartes publishes the US total and the China share each month, and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach publish their own monthly counts, so the series can be kept current.

Sources