Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in unifying business-intensive logistics businesses, has released its December Global Transportation Report for logistics and supply chain professionals. In November 2025, US container import volumes were 2,183,048 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), down 5.4% from October, in line with a typical seasonal decline, a shorter November and a US Thanksgiving slowdown. Imports from China were the main driver of the overall volume pullback, registering a sharp 11.3% drop from last month. For the second straight month, port transit time delays increased in November, although there were no signs of system congestion. November’s update of logistics metrics monitored by Descartes showed a cautious but steady outlook for U.S. importers ahead of the end of the year, as factors such as a legal challenge to the Independence Day tariffs and continued caution by carriers in the Red Sea Corridor contribute to global supply chain uncertainty.
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US container imports after seasonal decline in November
November imports fell 5.4 percent from October and were 7.8 percent below November 2024 (see Figure 1). However, November 2025 still ranks as the fourth-strongest November on record, trailing only 2020, 2021 and 2024 – underscoring the underlying resilience of US import demand despite political and economic uncertainty. For the first eleven months of 2025, volumes are just 0.1% higher than the same period in 2024, and the year-to-date growth margin has declined from nearly 10% in January. This convergence points to the questionable effects of early loading, a cooler economic backdrop and softer consumer demand, which have gradually pushed 2025 volumes closer to 2024.
Figure 1. Year-over-year comparison of US container import volumes
Compared to November 2024, November 2025 US container imports from the top 10 countries of origin (CoO) fell 9.3%, losing a total of 156,831 TEU (see Figure 2). China shed 174,650 TEUs (19.7 percent), accounting for the largest overall contraction. Further declines from last year 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 had strong year-over-year growth. Vietnam increased by 15.4% (34,892 TEUs), Thailand by 27.2% (23,159 TEUs) and Indonesia by 18.0% (8,640 TEUs). Despite these gains, November’s results reflected year-on-year weakness in most major source countries, largely driven by a contraction in China, even as expanding trade from select Southeast Asian origins offset the broader decline.
Figure 2. November 2024 to November 2025 Comparison of US Import Volumes from Top 10 Origin Countries
“Beyond seasonal factors, the decline in US container import volumes in November may reflect continued importer caution amid a dynamic tariff backdrop,” said Jackson Wood, director of industry strategy at Descartes. “While agreements between the US and China have eased short-term pressure, long-term uncertainty in trade relations remains. The legal challenge to IEEPA tariffs, ongoing geopolitical volatility and continued carrier caution in the Red Sea Corridor are other factors contributing to a cautious outlook for US importers heading into next year.”
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