US container imports rose 2% month-on-month in December 2025 but ended the year 0.4% lower than 2024, with significant declines from China.
US container imports rose two percent month-on-month to 2.23 million TEU in December 2025 but ended the year 0.4 percent below 2024, reported Bopal, India's Fibre2Fashion.
December volumes were 5.9 percent lower year-on-year, reflecting cooling demand, according to Descartes Systems Group. Total imports in 2025 reached 28.08 million TEU, down from 28.19 million TEU in 2024.
China led the decline, with shipments down 21.8 percent year-on-year and its share of US imports falling to 31.7 percent, the lowest December level in six years. This compared with 38.1 percent in December 2024 and more than 41 percent during the pandemic peaks.
Imports from other major origins also fell, including India down 15 percent, Taiwan 13.2 percent, South Korea 7.1 percent, and Italy one percent. Overall, the top 10 origins saw an 8.4 percent drop, equal to 143,200 TEU.
Southeast Asia gained share as sourcing diversified. Vietnam shipments rose 21.5 percent, Thailand 28.3 percent, and Indonesia 19.6 percent. Smaller increases came from Japan and Hong Kong.
Port performance improved modestly, with transit delays easing at East and Gulf Coast gateways and stable conditions on the West Coast. Jackson Wood of Descartes said 2025 was marked by volatility and softening demand, with the 2026 outlook cautious amid tariff uncertainty, Red Sea risks, and wider geopolitical tensions.
