American ports have managed to withstand the turmoil caused by the tariff wars and the announcement of new tariffs pushed by President Donald Trump. Terminals operating on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts maintained stable transshipment levels, and container imports remained virtually unchanged in 2025, according to the May Descartes Datamyne™ “Top 30 U.S. Port Report.”

Analysts precisely calculated that imports of containerized goods reached 28,093,126 TEU. In 2025, there was a practically minimal decline in the supply of overseas containerized goods to the US market, by 0.03% compared to 2024, when they exceeded 28.112 million TEU. This also means that the maritime economy has managed to withstand the tariff hurricanes caused by the volatile decisions of the US administration. Suppliers of industrial and consumer goods have also managed to cope with its unpredictable movements.

The Office of the United States Representative reports that “the estimated value of U.S.-China merchandise trade reached $414.7 billion in 2025.” U.S. merchandise exports to China in 2025 were $106.3 billion, down 25.8% ($36.9 billion) from 2024. U.S. merchandise imports from China were $308.4 billion in 2025, down 29.7% ($130.4 billion) from 2024. The U.S. merchandise trade deficit with China was $202.1 billion in 2025.

Chinese industrial shipments to U.S. states (%) Source: U.S. International Trade Administration. Graphic: voronoi

In many states, Chinese industrial shipments constitute a significant portion of market activity. Container ports and intermodal traffic immediately noticed a significant decline in goods. Traffic was down 31.6% in 2025, and the value of goods delivered to the American market fell by $93.4 billion compared to 2024. In 2024, the value of trade in goods and services between the U.S. and China reached $658.9 billion, marking the latest increase in more than a decade. It reached 2.6% ($17 billion) compared to 2023. More than 40% of goods imported from China are driven by consumer demand, according to data collected by the U.S. International Trade Administration.

Flexible Logisticians

Logisticians, freight forwarders, and maritime agents have built remarkably flexible supply chains, and entrepreneurs have built new logistics networks. New countries and ports have been integrated into their global network. Thanks to logisticians and efficient container fleet operators, “For the second consecutive year, import volume peaked in July, reaching 2,610,363 TEU. August shipments, reaching 2,531,222 TEU, also exceeded the 2.4 million mark that marked the beginning of the 2021 port congestion crisis,” emphasize Descartes Datamyne™ analysts.

The turmoil surrounding the anticipation of new tariffs, followed by non-tariff measures, resulted in an “unseasonable peak in April, followed by a decline [in containerized goods shipments – MG] in May.” American experts attribute this to excess inventories, which producers and retailers have been accumulating, anticipating the possibility of reduced supplies of goods burdened by high import tariffs. President Donald Trump has repeatedly announced astronomical revenues from the increased tariffs. He failed to anticipate that suppliers might simply abandon the American market.

Countries supplying containerized goods to the US. Source: Descartes Datamyne™

In the United States, customers responded early last year by reducing orders. Weak demand and uncertainty surrounding tariffs led many importers to go into hiding, and in February of last year, orders for many product groups delivered by container lines were suspended. This was particularly noticeable on routes between Pacific ports.

The Pacific Ocean proved turbulent, as “as Chinese tariffs increased, orders plummeted, reaching a cumulative 145% in April, halting trade.” The burden decreased with the May “customs truce” between the US and China. The “customs ceasefire” triggered the process of fulfilling deferred orders. “Imports surged as shipments from China rebounded, bolstered by early shipments before the August effective date of mutual tariffs on goods from over 180 countries. However, it was the rise and fall of Chinese imports that shaped the overall trend in 2025,” emphasizes Descartes Datamyne™ in the “Top 30 U.S. Port Report.”

US ports generally managed to avoid significant supply fluctuations. Only a few container terminals were significantly impacted by the volatile trade conditions with China. The West Coast was the most vulnerable. Here, ports on the Pacific Rim experienced the greatest tension. Shipments from China via the Pacific Ocean accounted for 47.7% of TEUs in 2025.

In the context of current events, it is worth noting that 25.9% of containerized cargo was unloaded at ports on the Gulf of Mexico and 22.4% on the East Coast. This unloading pattern at container terminals was driven by the volume of tropical fruit trade. Here, container port turnover was driven by north-south connections. Fruit shipments peaked during the peak season from December to March. There were also fluctuations in deliveries and unloadings, driven by low harvests and uncertainty surrounding customs tariffs. Therefore, even cargoes from Latin America arrived at the quays a month or two late in some ports.

Container ports disrupted by tariff changes. Source: Descartes Datamyne™

Tariff Games

“Punitive tariffs on Chinese goods and reciprocal tariffs on almost all other trading partners weren’t the only tariffs impacting trade,” Descartes Datamyne™ emphasizes. The sectoral tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper, defined by Section 232, were particularly burdensome for traders, with a 50% increase. Other high-value imports—automobiles and auto parts, trucks, lumber, and furniture—were hit by 25% increases.

Tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) increased tariffs on imports from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and EU trading partners. The maritime transport market to the US was turbulent throughout 2025 due to successive US agreements with trading partners and the constant increases, withdrawals, or deferrals of tariffs and non-tariff measures.

The situation was tense, but freight forwarders, maritime agents, and logisticians collaborated with importers. This allowed them to adapt their business strategies to the dynamic conditions. Flexible logistics networks were also established with vessel operators and land logistics providers. This allowed sea-land logistics chains to be built by deferring or accelerating order fulfillment, diversifying markets, and reorganizing supply chains.

This was particularly noticeable during the summer peak in cargo traffic. During this period, “more freight forwarders and importers opted for shorter transit times on routes from Asia to the West Coast.” Carriers, reallocating resources to meet changing demand, have limited vessel calls to secondary ports, resulting in losses in container volume. The West Coast is expected to regain its dominant position in maritime imports in 2026. The recently announced attempt to impose new tariffs on European Union suppliers, however, could negatively impact container terminals in US East Coast ports.