U.S. Container Imports from Asia Rose 4.1% in August

Publish Time: 2025-09-23 Origin: Site

According to a report by the Japan International Freight Forwarders Association (JIFFA), CBP’s Descartes data shows that U.S. container imports from 10 major Asian economies reached 1.86 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in August, representing a 4.1% year-on-year (YoY) increase and a 2.9% month-on-month (MoM) decrease. From January to August this year, the total U.S. imports from these economies amounted to 13.63 million TEU, up 3.5% YoY.

China remained the largest source of imports, though its shipments fell 5.5% YoY to 994,958 TEU. Vietnam saw a surge of 40.4% YoY to 260,897 TEU, while India rose 33% YoY to 89,596 TEU. South Korea declined 9.8% YoY to 191,073 TEU, and Japan dropped 7.3% YoY to 32,886 TEU.

Total U.S. imports in August stood at 2.54 million TEU, up 3.5% YoY. "The Port of Los Angeles moved nearly 2 million containers combined in July and August," said Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, at a media briefing. "These are the best two months of any port in the Western Hemisphere. Retailers and manufacturers continue to bring in goods early—partly to get ahead of holiday demand and partly to hedge against risks from trade policy changes."

The neighboring Port of Long Beach also posted similarly positive results, ranking among the top U.S. maritime hubs. However, Seroka noted that this growth may have peaked, as container shipping will be affected by a series of factors for the rest of the year. "Looking ahead," Seroka said, "I expect container volumes to slow for the remainder of 2025, especially compared to last year’s unusually high baseline. This is because most goods for year-end holidays have already arrived. Economic signals such as slowing job growth and lingering inflation have made both importers and consumers more cautious."

U.S. Container Imports from Asia Rose 4.1% in August

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