Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, released its June report on the ongoing global shipping crisis and analysis for logistics and supply chain professionals. The report shows that May container shipments into the U.S. hit a new all-time high making the task of managing supply chain risk more complicated to navigate.
Fueled by continued strong consumer spending, May container import volumes surpassed 2.62M twenty-foot equivalent units, which not only continues the record monthly trend for the year but also eclipses the 2.6M TEU level for the first time. Container imports for the month crept up 7% over April and, in contrast to previous years, were up 3% over May 2021 and 26% over pre-pandemic May 2019.
“May saw imports from China up 5.4% compared to April, as COVID lockdowns began to ease in major manufacturing hubs, especially Shanghai. Compared to May 2021, however, overall imports from China were down 2.1%, highlighting the potential volume still to come in the months ahead,” said Chris Jones, EVP Industry & Services at Descartes. “Even as wait times at top U.S. ports continued to decline in May, the new overall high for import volumes, increasing production levels in China and the approach of peak season indicate there’s the potential for high activity in ocean trade in the second half of the year.”
The June report is Descartes’ 11th installment since beginning its analysis in August 2021.