LOS ANGELES, Oct 8 (Reuters) – US container imports rose 10.3% from a year earlier in September to set a new record for the month, buoyed by a 21.2% 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 meter) equivalent units (TEUs), the standard industry measure.
• Chinese-origin imports reached 924,454 TEUs.
• Chinese volume accounted for 36.3% 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% compared with the same period in 2025.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
