US Retail Imports Peak at 2.16M TEUs in September 2026

US retailers are forecasting September 2026 as among the busiest months of the year for container imports, even as the 2026 peak shipping season — which arrived earlier than usual — begins to wind down, according to the Global Port Tracker report . September is forecast at 2.16 million TEUs, a 2.8% year-on-year increase, while October is projected at 2.13 million TEUs, up 2.7% year-on-year. November is forecast at 2.03 million TEU, up 0.3%, and December is projected to pick up to 2.06 million TEU, up 2.5% over last year.

This year's busiest month appears to have arrived in May, when US major ports handled 2.24 million TEUs — the highest of 2026 to date. Total ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.23 million TEUs in June, the latest month for which final figures were available, up 13.2% year-on-year — aided in part by comparison against the sharp drop in June 2025 caused by the earlier round of "Liberation Day" tariffs — though down 0.7% from May. The first half of 2026 totalled 12.7 million TEUs, up 1.1% from the same period in 2025.

"We had an early peak season this year as retailers brought in merchandise ahead of tariff changes in late July and responded to other uncertainties in the supply chain like the ongoing disruption brought by the conflict in Iran," said NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold. "One round of tariffs has been replaced with another, but retailers will be well stocked for the coming holiday season. Retailers know how to adapt to shifting situations and are well prepared to meet consumers' demand for affordability and choice."

For the full year 2026, imports are expected to total 25.5 million TEUs — up 0.1% from 2025, when imports totalled 25.4 million TEUs. The peak shipping season, which historically came in late summer or autumn, has become earlier and more compressed in recent years.