Descartes Systems Group has released its September Global Shipping Report, with August 2026 U.S. containerised import volumes rising to 2,603,709 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 3.8% increase on July and the third-highest monthly total on record. The report, published via reports on 11 September 2026, framed the figures against a backdrop of persistent trade risk.

August’s rise places the month behind only May 2022 and July 2025 in the series of monthly peaks. The report gives logistics and supply chain professionals fresh data on recent flows while flagging the uncertainty that continues to shape global commerce.

Descartes characterised the market environment as one where elevated volumes coexist with ongoing risk factors for carriers, terminals and shippers. That combination, the report notes, complicates planning even as throughput rebounds from seasonal troughs.

Ports and terminals face heightened pressure from sequential monthly increases, the report implies, as infrastructure and labour must absorb larger-than-expected peaks. Policymakers and operators are likely to watch how chains of suppliers and inland transport respond in the autumn trade window.

A short factual summary from the report highlights the top monthly volumes:

  • May 2022: highest recorded monthly U.S. container import volume in the dataset.
  • July 2025: second-highest recorded month.
  • August 2026: 2,603,709 TEUs, third-highest recorded month and up 3.8% on July 2026.

Volume trends and context

The data point for August, 2,603,709 TEUs, is presented as part of the regular monthly monitoring Descartes provides for the industry. The firm positions the report as a tool for logistics and supply chain professionals tracking import flow patterns and capacity utilisation.

The placement of August behind two prior peak months underscores the episodic nature of recent surges rather than a single, sustained upward trajectory. That episodic profile has implications for inventory strategies, carrier deployment and terminal scheduling.

Persistent trade risk

The report emphasises a continuing risk environment for global trade even as volumes climb. Persistent trade risk, as described in the report, means that unexpected disruptions, whether economic, geopolitical or operational, remain a material factor for planners.

For businesses that move goods across oceans, the coexistence of high throughput and elevated uncertainty increases the premium on flexibility and contingency measures. The report’s publication is timed to inform decisions ahead of the autumn peak for many retail and industrial supply chains.

Descartes describes itself as a global specialist in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, and this September release forms part of its regular cadence of market intelligence. The report’s audience is chiefly logistics managers, freight forwarders, carriers and terminal operators who must reconcile short-term volume spikes with longer-term risk management.

The figures and commentary published on 11 September 2026 give operators a clear numerical benchmark for August while signposting the layered risks still affecting transpacific and other trade lanes. That dual message, rising volumes paired with persistent uncertainty, will be central to planning conversations across the import supply chain in the coming weeks.