Supply chain technology provider Descartes Systems Group said US seaports handled 2,353,611 TEU last month. Year to date import volume trails 2025 by 4.8 per cent, but March levels were 32.3 per cent above pre pandemic figures from March 2019, reflecting steady demand despite uncertainty over US tariff policies and the war in Iran.

US containerized imports from China totalled 711,652 TEU in March 2026, down 6.7 per cent year on year. China's share of total US container imports stood at 30.2 per cent last month, underscoring the continuing importance of Chinese shipments in overall trade flows.

Import trends are widely seen as a measure of the health of the US economy, rising when the economy is strong and falling when it is weak. Analysts said the latest figures suggest resilience in demand even as geopolitical and policy risks weigh on global supply chains.