The fear was that Trump policies would stifle US imports, yet demand endures
- US imports totalled 2.4m teu in May, according to Descartes, up 6.6% month on month and 11.5% year on year
- National Retail Federation expects US containerised imports in June to increase 5.1% versus May as importers frontload to avoid higher fuel surcharges and tariff bills
- US retail sales continue their winning streak: total sales were up 7.2% year on year in May, and up 0.4% month on month
Trump’s tariffs and the war with Iran were predicted to be bad for US goods import demand — a negative for container shipping — but US box volumes have been surprisingly robust
