May. Imports were up 5.6% from last year, though this increase was smaller than in the previous three months.

In May, 1.93 million TEUs were handled, 1% more than in April and the highest volume of U.S. imports in 21 months. However, this was -15.5% below May 2021. McCown pointed out that May is usually the busiest month for U.S. inbound volumes as well as for overall global container volumes. He said this is mainly because retailers are planning for the holiday season and stocking up on inventories.

U.S. East Coast ports recorded an 11.8% rise in imports, while performance at West Coast ports remained unchanged. However, the trend of shipping to East/Gulf Coast ports could reverse in June, especially for shipments originating in Asia. McCown pointed out that shipping via East/Gulf Coast ports adds 17 days to transit times compared to shipping via the West Coast ports.

U.S. exports also increased by 4.9% year-over-year in May. Houston and Los Angeles are the preferred gateways for U.S. exporters.

Source: The Loadstar