In the whole of 2025, container traffic in the main U.S. container ports will decrease by -5.6% compared to the previous year. last year and the decline will be determined by the effect of the new and other trade policies introduced in recent months by the Trump administration. This is stated in the latest report "Global Port Tracker" published by the consulting firm Hackett Associates and the National Retail Federation (NRF), The U.S. Retail Association which in the In recent days he has strongly criticized the tariff policy adopted by the Federal Administration ( of 1 August 2025).

The latest report notes that in the first half of 2025, the container traffic in American ports totaled 12.53 million TEUs, with a growth of +3.6% compared to 2024, and specifies that the forecasts for the second quarter of the year would bring the whole of 2025 to a total of 24.1 million TEUs, with A decrease of -5.6% compared to 25.5 million TEUs in 2024.

"Although this forecast is still preliminary," he said, highlighted Jonathan Gold, Vice President for Supply Chain and Operations customs policies of the NRF - shows the impact that tariffs and The administration's trade policy are having on the chain of supply. Tariffs are starting to drive up prices and a decrease in imports will result in in a reduction of goods on store shelves. The small companies, in particular, are struggling to stay in activity. We need binding trade agreements that open the markets by reducing duties, not increasing them. The duties are taxes paid by U.S. importers which will result in higher prices for U.S. consumers, in a lower number of hires, lower investments by companies and a slowdown of the economy".

"The wavering approach made up of a push and pull on tariffs that has little to do with trade policy," added Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates - is causing confusion and uncertainty among importers, exporters and consumers. Friends Allies and adversaries are all affected by distortions of flows as importers try to anticipate the levels of of duties by bringing forward imports before the duties come into effect vigour. This, in turn, will surely lead to a decline in trade by the end of September, given that stocks for the Christmas holidays will already be Available. At the same time, US exporters find themselves with unsold products due to the application of retaliation".

According to the Global Port Tracker, this perspective is confirmed by estimates of traffic data from last year. month, in which there would have been a surge in the volumes that rose to 2.3 million TEUs, an increase of +17.3% on June 2025 and with a limited decline of -0.5% on an annual basis and this - underlines the publication - because retailers have imported more goods in view of the application of new duties.

This surge occurred in July 2025 in the port of Long Beach which in the month handled 944 thousand TEUs, a volume that represents an increase of +7.0% over July 2024 and is the third highest volume ever, being less than only the Historical record of 987 thousand TEUs in October 2024 and 953 thousand TEUs moved in January 2025. Last month's growth was was determined by the increase of +7.6% in full containers per year landing, results of 468 thousand TEUs, and the increase of +12.4% in empty containers, which stood at 385 thousand TEUs. Full containers at embarkation amounted to 91 thousand TEUs (-12.9%).

The Long Beach Port Authority believes that the next Evolution of containerized traffic in the port of call will reflect the provisions of National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates: "retailers - explained Mario Cordero, CEO of Port of Long Beach - are now seeing the arrival of goods purchased at lower prices during the temporary suspension of tariffs and retaliatory duties of recent months. Due to the continued uncertainty caused by the changing trade policies - Cordero announced - our digital tracking system "Supply Chain Information Highway" forecasts a drop in traffic of about -10% in the second half of 2025, resulting in a full year unchanged in terms of volumes".

The "Global Port Tracker" predicts that traffic that will be moved in August 2025 in the major U.S. container ports will be 2.2 million of TEUs, down -5% compared to August 2024, and that the next September will be 1.83 million TEUs, down by -19.5% year-on-year. In addition, it expects that next October the traffic will reach 1.82 million TEUs (-18.9%) and at November will be 1.71 million TEUs (-21.1%), the figure lower monthly from 1.78 million TEUs handled to April 2023. Finally, it is expected that next December the traffic will be equal to 1.72 million TEUs, with a reduction in -19.3% on December 2024.