U.S. container ports handled 2.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in August, capping the busiest stretch of an unusually prolonged 2026 peak season, according to the latest Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.

August volumes rose 0.4% from July but slipped 0.7% year over year. The month now stands as the year's high-water mark, a reversal of last month's forecast that September would take the top spot.

"Even with any fluctuations in final data, we're likely past the busiest part of the year," said Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy.

What changed in the forecast?

The September projection fell to 2.28 million TEUs, down from 2.31 million TEUs estimated a month earlier. October is expected to ease further to 2.25 million TEUs, with November dropping to 2 million TEUs.

Despite the cooldown, the year-over-year gap remains wide. September volumes are forecast to climb 8.2% over 2025, followed by an 8.5% jump in October.

How did individual ports perform?

• Port of Los Angeles recorded its busiest three-month stretch on record during June, July, and August
• Port of Savannah handled a record 504,015 TEUs in September, up 3.7% year over year

These results underscore how both West Coast and East Coast gateways absorbed elevated import flows well past the traditional Labor Day endpoint.

Why did volumes stay elevated?

Retailers pulled merchandise forward earlier this year to front-run tariff changes and supply chain uncertainty. The original expectation: an early peak followed by summer declines. Instead, shipping delays and resilient consumer demand kept boxes moving well into fall.

"The truth is that the peak season started early and was stretched out through the summer and early fall, with the difference from month to month often amounting to little more than a rounding error," Gold said.

What does this mean for shippers and carriers?

Most holiday inventory has already crossed U.S. docks. Forwarders and ocean carriers should expect the remainder of the year to run on last-minute replenishment and pre-2027 positioning rather than another import wave.

"Most holiday merchandise has arrived, and the remainder of the year is just a matter of last-minute replenishment and preparation for early 2027," Gold said.

That message carries direct commercial weight. Carriers reliant on trans-Pacific peak-season surcharges will see those revenue levers fade faster than last year, while forwarders face a thinner Q4 spot market on Asia-U.S. lanes.

What's the consumer backdrop?

Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett flagged a split picture. "Consumers appear to remain confident and cautious at the same time, with consumer confidence indexes sliding to multi-year lows while consumer spending continues to be robust in the face of increasing inflation," Hackett said.

What's ahead for 2027?

Global Port Tracker now projects full-year 2026 imports at 25.8 million TEUs, up 1.4% from 25.4 million TEUs in 2025, a modest upward revision from last month's 25.7 million TEU estimate.

• January 2027: 2.07 million TEUs, down 1.9% year over year
• February 2027: 1.92 million TEUs, up 1% year over year

The trajectory points to a softer opening quarter next year as front-loaded inventory clears the system and retailers reset order books against a weaker consumer confidence backdrop, with carriers and beneficial cargo owners facing a flatter Q1 2027 trade-lane curve than the elevated 2026 base suggests.