As the traditional ocean shipping peak season heats up, U.S. container imports saw a notable uptick in July, with goods from China accounting for the largest share of the increase, according to logistics media outlet FreightWaves.
Supply chain technology firm Descartes Systems Group’s latest global shipping report shows that U.S. container imports reached approximately 2.508 million TEUs in July, up 4.5% month-over-month. The company notes that U.S. container imports typically see seasonal growth in July over the past decade.
Looking at major source markets, container imports from the top ten countries of origin rose by 83,700 TEUs month-over-month, a 4.9% increase. China delivered the biggest boost: imports from China grew 7.2% month-over-month, adding roughly 58,700 TEUs and hitting the highest monthly level since July 2025. By this measure, China contributed about 70% of the total growth from the top ten source markets.
In addition, imports from Hong Kong, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and India also posted gains.
That said, compared to the same month last year, U.S. container imports in July still dipped 4.3%. The report attributes this to the fact that, this time last year, U.S. importers had aggressively front-loaded shipments amid trade policy uncertainty, pushing July 2025 imports to a lofty 2.62 million TEUs.
FreightWaves points out that after the tariff-driven front-loading wave subsided in June, import volumes briefly softened. The July data now suggests that demand driven by the traditional peak season is regaining momentum.