U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.32 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units — one 20-foot container or its equivalent — in August. That was down 2.9 percent from July’s 2.39 million TEU — the peak month for the year — but up 0.1 percent year over year.

Ports have not yet reported numbers for September, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 2.12 million TEU, down 6.8 percent year over year.

While the falling monthly totals are related to tariffs, the year-over-year percentage declines are both because of this year’s early peak season and because imports in late 2024 were elevated by concerns over port strikes.

The first half of 2025 totaled 12.53 million TEU, up 3.7 percent year over year. The full year is forecast at 24.79 million TEU, down 2.9 percent from 25.5 million TEU in 2024.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by Hackett Associates, provides historical data and forecasts for the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at NRF.com/PortTracker