As per the report, container traffic volume has remained largely unaffected by the Middle East developments because the US imports limited cargo from the region.
However, ocean freight carriers are facing higher fuel expenses, which may eventually influence retail costs for companies and consumers.
NRF supply chain and customs policy vice president Jonathan Gold said: “Just because retailers don’t import a lot of merchandise from the Middle East doesn’t mean the US supply chain isn’t affected by the turmoil there.
“The supply chain is global and disruptions anywhere along it can have ripple effects whether it’s rerouting of vessels, equipment out of position, higher fuel costs for shippers or rising gas prices that leave less money in consumers’ pockets. Retailers are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and working with their transportation partners to minimise any impact. In the meantime, retailers continue to face rising tariffs and continued trade policy uncertainty that put downward pressure on imports and upward pressure on prices.”
The blockages in the Strait of Hormuz are pushing up fuel prices for ships worldwide, a trend which coincides with increased petrol prices paid by consumers, according to Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett.
While US ports do not face fuel shortages, Hackett pointed out that ports in Asia rely on fuel supplies from the Persian Gulf and could face constraints if the situation continues.
“The United States is less impacted operationally as there is no shortage of fuel at US ports, but the price of fuel here is based on international pricing. Higher fuel costs drive up the price of shipping a container for either import or export and ultimately have an inflationary impact on consumers and other end users,” Hackett said.
In February this year, Global Port Tracker recorded 1.95 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) at covered US ports, excluding data from the Port of New York/New Jersey. This represented a decrease of 7.5% compared to January and a drop of 4.2% year-on-year, with February traditionally marking a seasonal low following Lunar New Year closures at Asian factories.
March projections show 1.97 million TEU, down 8.3% year-on-year, while April is forecast at 2.08 million TEU, down 5.6%.
Expected volumes for May and June are 2.09 million TEU, up 7.3% and 2.1 TEU, up 6.9%, respectively.
Numbers for July and August are projected at 2.2 million (down 8%) and 2.18 million (down 6%), respectively.
The anticipated total for the first six months of this year is 12.3 million TEU, a decrease of 1.8% from the 12.53 million TEU recorded during the same timeframe in 2025.
Year-on-year increases in May and June result from a marked reduction in imports during those months last year following the introduction of “Liberation Day” tariffs.
Total imports in 2025 stood at 25.4 million TEU, a decrease of 0.3% from 2024’s 25.5 million TEU.
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