U.S. container traffic stalls as global trade routes pivot

U.S. container throughput has moved from a period of rapid expansion into a pronounced lull, driven not by isolated local factors but by a broader realignment of international trade pathways. Shipping lines and major exporters have been pruning redundant sailings and redirecting cargo to alternative hubs and shorter routings, a response to changed demand patterns and cost pressures. The normalization of inventories in consumer markets and the retreat of pandemic-era restocking have removed a key tailwind that boosted volumes over the past few years. Simultaneously, supply-chain strategies such as nearshoring and regional trade agreements are reshaping origin-to-destination pairings, lowering the share of trans-Pacific boxes destined for U.S. gateways. For terminals and terminals' service providers, the immediate consequence is a softer call schedule, underutilized yard space and downward pressure on handling fees. Inland logistics — drayage, rail links and warehouse throughput — are seeing corresponding declines, eroding the intermodal flows that underpin port-adjacent economies. Carriers face decisions about fleet deployment and blank sailings while terminal operators deliberate capital spending on expansion or automation projects that assumed continuing volume growth. Labor dynamics are also affected: with steadier, lower volumes there is less urgency for large-scale hiring or overtime, altering negotiations and workforce planning. Investors and municipal planners who financed port upgrades on the expectation of sustained growth must now revisit revenue forecasts and repayment timelines. At the macro level, the pivot in global trade routes highlights a structural transition from pandemic-driven imbalances to a more dispersed and efficiency-driven network. The net effect is a strategic stress test for U.S. maritime infrastructure: adapt quickly to recapture share, or face prolonged underperformance as flows consolidate elsewhere. Policymakers and industry leaders now confront a narrow window to incentivize resilience and competitiveness if they want to keep the U.S. central in container logistics.