US ocean container imports set new record for September, Descartes says

Walmart

08/10/2026 10:00

LOS ANGELES, Oct 8 (Reuters) - US container imports rose 10.3% from a year earlier in September to set a new record for the month, buoyed by a 21.2% increase in shipments from China, supply-chain technology provider Descartes Systems Group DSG.TO said on Thursday. Experts view US import data as an indicator of national economic health, consumer demand and trade policy feedback.
September import volume hit 2.55 million 20-foot (6.1 meter) equivalent units (TEUs), the standard industry measure.
Chinese-origin imports reached 924,454 TEUs.
Chinese volume accounted for 36.3% of total volume in September 2026.
Several categories of retail goods sold by major retailers like Walmart WMT.O and Costco COST.O dominated the Chinese shipments, including plastic goods, furniture and bedding, and toys and sporting goods.
Import volume for the first nine months of 2026 was up 0.8% compared with the same period in 2025.
      

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
((Lisa.Baertlein@ThomsonReuters.com))