IN a clear indication of the US economy's ongoing strength, October's container imports reached 2,494,635 TEU, according to the latest Descartes Systems Group's Global Shipping Report.

This marks the fourth consecutive month where volumes have exceeded 2.4 million TEU, a threshold that has historically put significant strain on US maritime logistics, reports Ventura, California's gCaptain.

The import figures for October 2024 represent an 8.1 per cent increase compared to the same month in 2023 and a substantial 20.5 per cent rise from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Even more striking is the cumulative growth for the first ten months of 2024, which saw a 13.1 per cent increase over the same period in 2023 and a 16.9 per cent jump compared to 2019.

This surge in import volumes is not without its challenges.

Transit time delays increased at seven of the top ten US ports in October, with the top five East and Gulf Coast ports experiencing disruptions due to a three-day International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) strike.

"While four months of elevated container import volumes illustrates the continued strength of US imports, port operations may be starting to feel the impact with transit time delays increasing at the majority of the top 10 US ports in October," said Jackson Wood, director of industry strategy at Descartes.

China continues to dominate as the primary source of US imports, with October marking the fifth consecutive month where imports from China exceeded 900,000 TEU.

The exact figure for October stood at an impressive 960,016 TEUs further cementing China's crucial role in US trade. "This trend underscores the strength of US-China trade in 2024, especially compared to 2023 when monthly imports never surpassed the 900,000 TEU mark," said Descartes.

The report also noted the coastal shift in imports. For the fourth consecutive month, top West Coast ports captured a larger share of imports compared to their East and Gulf Coast counterparts.

"October data reveals only slight shifts in distribution: the West Coast's share edged up from 45.7 per cent in September to 45.8 per cent in October, while the East and Gulf Coast ports' share dipped slightly from 39.6 per cent to 39.4 per cent," the report said.