Import Cargo Still Strong as Peak Season Winds Down

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2026 — Import volume at the nation’s major container ports is expected to taper off for the remainder of the year following an extended peak season that has kept docks busy since the spring, according to the Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“U.S. ports have seen high volume levels throughout this year’s longer-than-usual peak season and numbers are still strong even as the season winds down,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “Unfortunately, these volumes have led to backups at some ports, particularly on the West Coast where cargo has sat for extended periods waiting to be transferred to rail cars. We’ve also seen the threat of a strike at the nation’s largest port complex in recent days. Nonetheless, most holiday merchandise is already here, and retailers are working closely with their supply chain partners to ensure that the supply of holiday gifts continues to flow smoothly.”

A strike was avoided at the beginning of the month when International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 26, which represents watchmen at a number of container terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, reached a short-term contract extension with the Pacific Maritime Association. The contract has now been extended three times for a few days at a time, most recently through Nov. 20, with no long-term agreement in place following the expiration of the previous contract in July 2025.

Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said this year’s months-long peak season was an offshoot of an extended season in 2025, when a series of tariff increases led retailers to bring in merchandise before the tariffs could take effect.

“At the start of 2026, that surge appeared to have ended after the Supreme Court struck down high ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs. Expectations of another extended peak season consequently faded,” Hackett said. “However, new tariffs introduced in the second quarter prompted a renewed surge in imports beginning in May that continued through mid-October. Consumer spending supported this influx, with households continuing to buy despite rising inflation.”

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 2.37 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units — one 20-foot container or its equivalent — of loaded imports in September, the latest month for which final numbers are available. That was up 3.4% from August and up 12.6% year over year to make September the busiest month of the year amid the extended peak. It was the third-busiest month since Global Port Tracker began keeping records, topped only by 2.39 million TEU in July 2025 and 2.4 million TEU in May 2022.

Ports have not yet reported October numbers, but Global Port Tracker projected the month at 2.26 million TEU, up 9.1% year over year. November is forecast at 2.05 million TEU, up 1.2% year over year, and December at 2.03 million TEU, up 1.3%.

Those numbers would bring 2026 to a total of 26 million TEU, up 2% from last year’s 25.4 million TEU. The first half of 2026 totaled 12.7 million TEU, up 1.1% from the same period in 2025.

January 2027 is forecast at 2.04 million TEU, down 3% year over year; February at 1.89 million TEU, down 0.5%, and March at 1.92 million TEU, down 11.2%.

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 or by calling (202) 783-7971. Subscription information for non-members can be found at www.globalporttracker.com.

As the leading authority and voice for the retail industry, NRF analyzes economic conditions affecting the industry through reports such as Global Port Tracker.

About NRF
The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com

About Hackett Associates
Hackett Associates provides expert consulting, research and advisory services to the international maritime industry, government agencies and international institutions. www.hackettassociates.com