US container imports surged 8.2 per cent in June from the year earlier, supply chain technology provider Descartes Systems Group said on Wednesday, after buyers rushed in goods to avoid potential new tariffs and higher transportation costs tied to the US-Israeli war in Iran.
US seaports handled 2,400,627 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) last month. For the first half of 2026, imports were down 0.3 per cent from the same period in 2025, Descartes said.
Analysts and shippers said many importers moved cargo early to front-run a July 1 increase in ocean freight costs tied to container ship operators belatedly adding to contracts higher fuel costs tied to the oil spike that resulted from the war in Iran.
