US container imports fell 5.4 per cent month-on-month (MoM) and 7.8 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in November, according to Descartes Systems Group, with seaports handling 2.18 million TEUs.
Despite the decline, it was the fourth-strongest November on record, behind 2020, 2021, and 2024, even amid trade policy and economic uncertainty.
For the first 11 months of the year, imports were essentially flat, up just 0.1 per cent YoY, down from nearly 10 per cent growth earlier in 2025, highlighting softer demand and more cautious ordering.
Imports from China fell 11.3 per cent MoM and 19.7 per cent YoY to 713,131 TEUs in November.
From the July 2024 record of 1.02 million TEUs, they were down 30.3 per cent, accounting for 32.7 per cent of the total, compared with 34.9 per cent in October.
Overall imports from the top 10 countries of origin dropped 6.7 per cent MoM, or 110,410 TEUs, with China responsible for 90,770 TEUs of the decline.
Other notable decreases included South Korea, down 12.8 per cent; Hong Kong, 6.8 per cent; Indonesia, 7 per cent; India, 5.9 per cent; Japan, 8.4 per cent; and Vietnam, 0.6 per cent.
Container exports from Japan to the US reached 53,298 TEUs in October, fell 8.6 per cent YoY but rose 26.7 per cent from September, according to Descartes Datamyne.