U.S. container imports ended 2025 in a four-month skid that¡¯s likely to lengthen this year as trade shifts to other economies to avoid U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s tariffs, according to a shipping industry analyst¡¯s tally of the country¡¯s top 10 ports.
Inbound volumes in December dropped 6.4% from a year earlier to 1.9 million 20-foot container units, after a 5.7% slide the previous month, according to John McCown, who publishes a monthly report that captures flows through America¡¯s biggest gateways for seaborne cargo.
¡°The downward turn in 2025 was due solely to tariffs,¡± McCown wrote. ¡°Unfortunately there is nothing at present that suggests it will be short-lived.¡±
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