US container imports dip in February but remain near record highs

Imports from China totalled 728,562 TEU last month, down 16.5 per cent year-over-year. Nevertheless, China’s share of total US container imports increased marginally to 34.8 per cent, Descartes said, as imports from India, Thailand and South Korea each reported larger declines.

“Trade conditions are increasingly being shaped by geopolitical escalation and policy shifts,” Descartes said.

The US Supreme Court ruled on February 20 in a decision that Trump "overstepped" his authority by using the emergency powers law to impose sweeping tariffs.

His administration rapidly announced a new 10 per cent global tariff on imports with plans to raise it to 15 per cent, effective for up to 150 days.