According to Descartes data, container imports in the United States continued to grow strongly in 2024, reaching the third highest monthly import volume on record in July, only slightly lower than May 2022 (2.622 million TEUs) and March 2022 (2.558 million TEUs). In July 2024, the import volume of US containers increased by 11.2% compared to June, which is consistent with the growth during non pandemic peak seasons.  

According to logistics indicators tracked by Descartes in August, the US imports from China reached a historic high of 1.023 million TEUs in July, which is 19188 TEUs higher than the record set in August 2022. Although the throughput in July reached a level that has put pressure on ports and inland logistics in the past, the impact of port delays is minimal. Despite strong container imports from the United States, the risk of global supply chain disruptions remains high due to the Middle East conflict and the news of stalled labor negotiations at ports in the US East and US Gulf.

According to Descartes data, the import volume of containers in the United States in July reached a 26 month high. In July 2024, the import volume of containers at all ports in the United States was 2.556 million TEUs, a 26 month high since May 2022. This is also the first time in 22 months that the throughput has exceeded 2.4 million TEUs, an increase of 16.8% from July 2024, 11.2% from June 2024, and 16.3% from before the pandemic in July 2019. The import volume growth in the first seven months of 2024 is 15.6% higher than the same period in 2019.

The freight volume in July 2024 has increased compared to June 2024, which is consistent with the increase in non pandemic years during the peak shipping season. The import volume in July 2024 is also the highest in the past six years, surpassing the import volume of 25274 TEUs in July 2022.

For the top ten ports in the United States, the total container imports in July 2024 increased by 237000 TEUs or+12.0% compared to June. The Port of Los Angeles (LA) grew by 69476TEU, while the Port of New York/New Jersey grew by 58258TEU. Houston Port (down 174TEU) and Oakland Port (down 652TEU) are the only ports to experience a month on month decline, although these declines can be ignored.

In July 2024, the United States' imports from China reached a historic high of 1.023 million TEUs, an increase of 1.9% or 19188 TEUs from the peak of 1.004 million TEUs set in August 2022, and a significant increase of 14.7% from June. In July, China accounted for 40% of the total US container imports, an increase of 1.2% from June, but still 1.5% lower than the high point of 41.5% in February 2022.

For the top ten importing countries/regions, the container import volume of the United States in July 2024 increased by 11.7% or+19.9 million TEUs compared to the previous month, with the largest decrease in import volume to India, a decrease of 8945 TEUs.

The market share of ports in the western United States has slightly increased. In July 2024, due to the stable market share of ports in the eastern and Gulf regions, the market share of ports in the western United States has increased compared to June. In July 2024, the top 5 ports in the West Coast of the United States increased to 45.5% (+0.9%) in total imported container volume, while the top 5 ports in the East Coast and the Gulf of America decreased to 41.43% (-0.1%). Compared to smaller ports, the share of the top ten ports remained slightly at 86.8% (+0.7%) in July 2024.

The delays at ports in the West and East of the United States in July were mixed. For the top 10 ports in the United States, although the import volume in July reached a level that has put pressure on ports and inland logistics in the past, the overall transportation time delays in July have decreased compared to June. In July 2024, there were mixed feelings of delays at ports in the West and East of the United States. Charleston, a port in the eastern United States, saw the greatest improvement with a 2.9 day reduction in delays, while Tacoma, a port in the western United States, saw the largest increase in delays with a one-day increase compared to June.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced that with the arrival of the rainy season and increased rainfall, it has basically restored all daily transit capacity. Starting from September, the daily number of crossings will increase to 36.

Due to the ongoing Red Sea crisis forcing ships to detour, the severe weather at the southern end of South Africa in July further disrupted the voyage. If the situation in the Middle East becomes further volatile, shipping issues may worsen.

The throughput of ports along the US Bay in July was 212000 TEUs, a second consecutive month of decline. Compared to June, it decreased by 2.3%. The transit time of ports along the US Gulf coast remains stable in July 2024.