Hamburg - September is traditionally one of the busiest months for U.S. containerized imports, driven by the peak shipping season as businesses prepare for the holiday rush. However, this year presents an unprecedented combination of challenges that could heavily impact supply chains. Potential labor strikes, natural disasters, and tariff uncertainties are converging, creating a highly volatile environment for global trade. This also led to the pulling forward of orders by retailers, which led to strong inventories in the US.

In August 2024, U.S. container cargo imports surged by 12.9% year-over-year, with . . .