U.S. containerized imports increased in July despite continued geopolitical and trade policy uncertainty, according to the latest Global Shipping Report from Descartes. Seasonal demand supported higher cargo volumes, while disruptions in the Middle East, new U.S. tariffs, Panama Canal restrictions and the Red Sea crisis continued to shape global supply chains. Descartes reported that U.S. container imports reached 2,508,310 TEUs in July, up 4.5% from June. However, volumes remained 4.3% below July 2025, when importers accelerated shipments ahead of expected trade policy changes. During the first seven months of 2026, total imports were down 0.9% year-on-year but remained well above pre-pandemic levels. China remained the largest source of U.S. imports. Shipments from China climbed 7.2% month-on-month to 873,129 TEUs, the highest monthly level since July 2025. China’s share of total U.S. container imports also increased to 34.8%, reflecting stronger seasonal demand across both consumer and industrial goods. Figure 1. U.S. Container Import Volume Year-over-Year Comparison Source: Descartes Datamyne Imports from the top 10 sourcing countries rose 4.9% compared with June. China recorded the largest increase, followed by Hong Kong, Germany, Japan, South Korea and India. Indonesia and Taiwan were the only major sourcing countries to report month-on-month declines. Figure 2. June 2026 to July 2026 Comparison of U.S. Import Volumes from Top 10 Countries of Origin Source: Descartes Datamyne US ports see mixed performance Container volumes across the top 10 U.S. ports increased by more than 102,000 TEUs in July. Long Beach posted the largest monthly gain, with volumes rising 15.8%, while Houston recorded a 19.9% increase. Savannah, Norfolk, Charleston and Oakland also handled more cargo than in June. Los Angeles, New York/Newark and Tacoma recorded lower import volumes during the month. Overall, West Coast ports increased their share of total U.S. imports to 45%, while