US container imports rose 10.3 per cent from a year earlier in September to set a new record for the month, buoyed by a 21.2 per cent increase in shipments from China, supply-chain technology provider Descartes Systems Group said on Thursday.
Experts view US import data as an indicator of national economic health, consumer demand and trade policy feedback.
September import volume hit 2.55 million 20-foot (6.1 metre) equivalent units (TEU), the standard industry measure.
Chinese-origin imports reached 924,454 TEU.
Chinese volume accounted for 36.3 per cent of total volume in September 2026.
Several categories of retail goods sold by major retailers like Walmart and Costco dominated the Chinese shipments, including plastic goods, furniture and bedding, and toys and sporting goods.
Import volume for the first nine months of 2026 was up 0.8 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
