The news
US ports handled 2.37 million TEU of imports in September, up 12.6% from a year earlier, per the National Retail Federation’s Global Port Tracker. It was the busiest month of 2026 and the third-busiest since the tracker began, behind July 2025 and May 2022.
NRF expects imports to ease to 2.26 million TEU in October and average about 2 million a month from November. It forecasts a 3% year-over-year decline in January and an 11.2% drop in March.
Full-year imports are on track for 26 million TEU, up 2% from 25.4 million in 2025.
Why it matters: Importers are heading into a slower stretch, with most holiday goods already here. NRF expects monthly volumes to fall below year-earlier levels starting in January.
The details
September’s peak followed a second import surge driven by tariff changes in the second quarter. Imports slowed early in the year after the Supreme Court struck down the “Liberation Day” tariffs. New tariffs then triggered another rush of shipments from May through mid-October, said Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates, which compiles the tracker with NRF.
September imports rose 3.4% from August.
Imports totaled 12.7 million TEU in the first half of 2026, up 1.1% from a year earlier.
The surge also beat NRF’s own forecasts, with September volumes coming in 15% above its June projection. At the time, NRF expected 2.06 million TEU, down 2.2% year over year. Its full-year forecast was 25.5 million TEU as recently as August.
NRF raised the full-year forecast to 25.7 million TEU in September and 25.8 million in October.
In May, it had expected the first half to total 12.59 million TEU.
The heavy volume also caused cargo backlogs at some ports, particularly on the West Coast, NRF said. Jonathan Gold, the group's vice president for supply chain and customs policy, said cargo was waiting to be moved onto rail cars.
“US ports have seen high volume levels throughout this year’s longer-than-usual peak season,” Gold said. “Nonetheless, most holiday merchandise is already here.”
What’s next
Security watchmen at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are scheduled to continue talks through Nov. 20, after a strike was averted in early November.
(Photo: Courtesy of the Port of Virginia)
