May imports from China were highest in 16 months
U.S. imports for the month overall rose 6.2% from April and nearly 12% since May of 2023, Descartes says.
Imports from China to U.S. ports had another strong month in May, reaching their second highest monthly volume since January of 2023, according to a report from Descartes Systems Group.
The swell of imported goods comes as U.S. container import volumes had a “robust” month of May overall, increasing 6.2% from April and 11.9% when compared to the same month last year, the company said in its “June Global Shipping Report.”
Despite those strong U.S. container imports, the risk of global supply chain disruptions remains high because of ongoing conditions at the Panama and Suez Canals, upcoming labor negotiations at U.S. South Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports, and the Middle East conflict, the report said.
However, port transit delays continue to improve across the board as there has been little impact on East and Gulf Coast import volumes from either the Panama drought or the Middle East conflict.
“May was yet another strong month and, for the first five months of 2024, U.S. import container volume is up 15.5% over the same period last year,” Chris Jones, EVP Industry, Descartes, said in a release. “Significant increases in imports from China (up 17.6%) in May was the big driver of this growth.”