Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Are U.S. Container Imports Cratering? | What's Going on With Global Contai... | #supplychain #containerships #container #imports

Did US Imports Crater? November 12, 2025

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano — a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner — discusses the October numbers for US container imports and the global results of container shipments.

REEERENCES

Retailers Predict Continued Declines for Container Imports Through Q1 2026

https://maritime-executive.com/articl...

China’s Export Engine Sputters in October as US Shipments Crater

https://gcaptain.com/chinas-export-en...

US imports hold steady in October but Chinese exports falter

https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1155436/...

October U.S. Container Imports Flat Over September as Trade Uncertainty Persists

https://www.descartes.com/resources/k...

U.S. Container Imports to Hit Slowest Pace in Nearly Three Years Amid Tariff Uncertainty https://gcaptain.com/u-s-port-volumes...

Trade war disruptions less than feared: Port of Long Beach

https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/por...

Liner sector defies disruption as box numbers surge to quarterly highs

https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1155442/...

One Month In, U.S. Halts Port Fees Aimed at Countering China’s Shipbuilding Dominance

https://gcaptain.com/one-month-in-u-s...

Support What's Going on With Shipping via: Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping Twitter: @mercoglianos Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social Facebook: @wgowshipping Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

Support What's Going on With Shipping via:

Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping

Twitter: @mercoglianos

Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social

Facebook: @wgowshipping

Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com

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What's Going on With Shipping - Maritime Industry Today

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Liner sector defies disruption as box numbers surge to quarterly highs

Global container volumes rose 4.7% in the first nine months of 2025 against last year
Q3 traffic hit a record 49.2m teu, up 1.5% on Q2, with August now the busiest month on record
China’s export pivot continues to fuel volume gains across global south
CTS freight index falls to lowest level since 2023 as carriers brace for end-of-year demand slowdown

10 Nov 2025

Linton Nightingale @LintonContainer linton.nightingale@lloydslistintelligence.com

Global container volumes reached record highs in Q325, despite geopolitical disruption and uneven regional demand. While North American imports continue to falter, robust growth across Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and South America buoyed overall performance. Chinese exports to emerging markets surged, helping offset transpacific declines as the ongoing trade war pegged back US trade