Shippers in April raced to bring in shipments ahead of steep tariffs, driving a surge in U.S. containerized imports.
Imports rose 1.2% from March and 9.1% year on year to more than 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units, one of the strongest Aprils on record.
The data was included in Descartes’ May Global Shipping Report released Wednesday.
Imports from China climbed 5.4% from March, likely reflecting frontloaded shipments ahead of the 145% U.S. tariff implemented April 9.
China accounted for a third of all inbound volume, led by furniture, plastics and machinery, sectors that have been targeted by Trump administration levies.
Growth in imports from Vietnam, up 32.5% y/y; Italy, up 29.9%; and Thailand, up 13.4%, reflected increasing supplier diversification beyond China, Descartes said in a release.
Los Angeles and Long Beach port volumes jumped 13.9% and 12%, respectively, while East Coast hubs such as Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, declined, indicating a pivot back to faster trans-Pacific routes.
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