U.S. Container Imports Climb in May as China Shipments Rebound
Key takeaways
- During the month, U.S. ports handled 2,428,758 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the standard industry measure used to track containerized cargo volumes.
- Imports originating from China reached 816,197 TEUs, marking a 28.1% increase compared with May 2025.
- As a result, China’s share of total U.S. container imports increased to 33.6% in May, up from 29.9% recorded in April.
U.S. Container Imports Climb in May as China Shipments Rebound Fiona Craig Tue, June 9, 2026 at 5:25 PM GMT+7 1 min read ship cargo containers logistics NEW SIZE ©Shutterstock Container import volumes entering the United States rose 11.5% year-over-year in May, supported by a recovery in cargo shipments from China following several months of softer activity, according to data released Tuesday by supply chain technology company Descartes Systems Group.
During the month, U.S. ports handled 2,428,758 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the standard industry measure used to track containerized cargo volumes.
Imports originating from China reached 816,197 TEUs, marking a 28.1% increase compared with May 2025. The strongest categories included plastics, furniture and bedding products, which accounted for a significant portion of the growth.