November U.S. Container Imports Dip Amid Seasonal Slowdown and Weakening China Imports

Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released its December Global Shipping Report for logistics and supply chain professionals. In November 2025, U.S. container import volumes were 2,183,048 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), down 5.4% from October and in line with a typical seasonal drop, November’s shorter month and U.S. Thanksgiving-related slowdowns. Imports from China were a major driver of the overall volume pullback, posting a sharp 11.3% month-over-month decline. For a second month, port transit time delays edged higher in November, though did not signal any systemic congestion. The November update of the logistics metrics monitored by Descartes suggests a cautious but steady outlook for U.S. importers heading into year-end, as factors such as the legal challenge to Liberation Day tariffs and continued carrier caution in the Red Sea corridor contribute to global supply chain uncertainty.

Read also: Container Shipping Rates Rise Again After Three-Week Drop

U.S. container imports post seasonal decline in November

November imports declined by 5.4% over October and were 7.8 % lower than November 2024 (see Figure 1). November 2025 still, however, ranks as the fourth-strongest November on record, trailing only 2020, 2021 and 2024—underscoring the underlying resilience of U.S. import demand despite policy and economic uncertainty. For the first eleven months of 2025, volumes are just 0.1% above the same period in 2024 with the year-to-date growth margin shrinking from nearly 10% in January. This convergence points to the effects of suspected early-year frontloading, a cooling economic backdrop and softer consumer demand that have gradually pulled 2025 volumes closer to 2024.

Figure 1. U.S. Container Import Volume Year-over-Year Comparison

Compared to November 2024, November 2025 U.S. container imports from the top 10 countries of origin (CoO) fell 9.3% with a combined loss of 156,831 TEUs (see Figure 2). China dropped 174,650 TEUs (19.7%), accounting for the majority of the overall contraction. Additional year-over-year decreases were recorded from India (18.9%), South Korea (16.3%), Japan (8.9%), Germany (5.2%), Italy (5.6%), and Hong Kong (1.9%). In contrast, several Southeast Asian countries posted strong year-over-year growth. Vietnam increased 15.4% (34,892 TEUs), Thailand surged 27.2% (23,159 TEUs), and Indonesia rose 18.0% (8,640 TEUs). Despite these gains, November results reflect year-over-year weakness across most major sourcing countries, driven primarily by China’s contraction even as expanding trade from select Southeast Asian origins offset broader declines.

Figure 2. November 2024 to November 2025 Comparison of U.S. Import Volumes from Top 10 Countries of Origin

“Beyond seasonal factors, November’s decline in U.S. container import volumes may also reflect ongoing importer caution amid a dynamic tariff backdrop,” said Jackson Wood, Director of Industry Strategy at Descartes. “While agreements between the U.S. and China have eased short-term pressure, longer-term uncertainty in the trade relationship persists. The legal challenge to IEEPA tariffs, ongoing geopolitical volatility and continued carrier caution in the Red Sea corridor are additional factors contributing to a cautious outlook for U.S. importers as the year draws to a close.”

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