IMPORT cargo volumes at major us container ports are poised to see their first year-on-year decline in more than 18 months, according to Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
The decline comes as President Donald Trump's recent series of tariffs begin to show tangible effects on the supply chain. The measures include a minimum 10 per cent tariff on all US trading partners, reciprocal tariffs on multiple nations announced in April, and a substantial 145 per cent tariff on China.
'We are starting to see the true impact of President Trump's tariffs on the supply chain,' said NRF vice president Jonathan Gold.
March 2025 data showed US ports handled 2.15 million TEU, marking a 5.5 per cent increase from February and an 11.3 per cent rise year on year.
However, the outlook for coming months shows a stark reversal of this trend. May 2025 is forecast at 1.81 million TEU, representing a 12.9 per cent year-on-year decline and ending 19 consecutive months of growth. June projections indicate volumes will fall to 1.71 million TEU, the lowest since March 2023, with a 20.2 per cent drop.
Despite these concerning figures, Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates, stresses that reports of a broken supply chain are exaggerated.
'Container carriers are indeed dropping voyages and consolidating cargo and service to ensure that their vessels are as full as possible and to maintain economies of scale as demand declines,' he said but dismissed claims of empty terminals and mid-voyage ship diversions.
SeaNews Turkey
The decline comes as President Donald Trump's recent series of tariffs begin to show tangible effects on the supply chain. The measures include a minimum 10 per cent tariff on all US trading partners, reciprocal tariffs on multiple nations announced in April, and a substantial 145 per cent tariff on China.
'We are starting to see the true impact of President Trump's tariffs on the supply chain,' said NRF vice president Jonathan Gold.
March 2025 data showed US ports handled 2.15 million TEU, marking a 5.5 per cent increase from February and an 11.3 per cent rise year on year.
However, the outlook for coming months shows a stark reversal of this trend. May 2025 is forecast at 1.81 million TEU, representing a 12.9 per cent year-on-year decline and ending 19 consecutive months of growth. June projections indicate volumes will fall to 1.71 million TEU, the lowest since March 2023, with a 20.2 per cent drop.
Despite these concerning figures, Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates, stresses that reports of a broken supply chain are exaggerated.
'Container carriers are indeed dropping voyages and consolidating cargo and service to ensure that their vessels are as full as possible and to maintain economies of scale as demand declines,' he said but dismissed claims of empty terminals and mid-voyage ship diversions.
SeaNews Turkey
