US box imports reached a record high in January with deliveries from China up for a second month, according to Canadian logistics and supply chain management tech specialist Descartes.
Imports in January stood at 2,487,470 teu, surpassing the previous record in January 2022 by 21,455 teu.
Boxes from China hit 997,909 teu of last month’s total, a jump of 10.6% over December and just 2.4% shy of the all-time high of 1,022,912 teu set in July 2024.
The spike comes against a backdrop of tariff instability, with the US placing a fresh 10% tariff on Chinese goods on February 4, while more punitive 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada were suspended until March to allow for more discussions.
“The impact of new and potential tariffs, coupled with a late Chinese Lunar New Year, may have contributed to higher US container imports in January,” said Jackson Wood, director of industry strategy at Descartes.
Although the logistics indicators show a good start to 2025, Descartes highlighted that new US tariffs on China, continued trade policy conflicts, and geopolitical upheaval in the Middle East are increasing concern for firms with global supply chains.
“As trade tensions escalate, businesses and consumers alike may face the risk of higher prices and prolonged market volatility,” Wood added.
Descartes also noted that despite elevated volumes for a seventh consecutive month, overall port transit time delays were not significantly lengthening at the top 10 US ports.