In November 2025, U.S. container imports eased 7.8% year-over-year, signaling a cooling in trade activity amid weaker demand for goods from China and one fewer business day in the Thanksgiving month, according to the latest Descartes Global Shipping Report.
Reuters

Ports across the U.S. handled 2,183,048 TEUs, making November the fourth-strongest November on record, despite the decline — underscoring that volumes remain historically elevated even as growth softens.
Reuters

The slowdown was driven primarily by a sharp 19.7% drop in imports from China, which weighed heavily on overall volumes and reflects a bigger trend of cautious ordering and shifting sourcing strategies among U.S. importers.
Reuters

For the first 11 months of 2025, total container imports are only marginally 0.1% above 2024 levels, a marked deceleration from earlier in the year when growth approached double digits.
Reuters

Industry experts attribute the cooling trend not just to seasonal and holiday-related factors, but also to ongoing tariff uncertainty and trade policy shifts, which continue to influence importer behavior and long-term supply chain planning.