April volumes were very strong for the Port of Los Angeles (POLA), according to data issued by the port yesterday, with the port processing its second-highest monthly volumes in its history.Total April volume, at 890,861 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), increased 5.7% annually, POLA stated, with the port citing strong import demand amid ongoing uncertainty regarding tariffs and trade policy.April imports, at 459,285 TEU, rose 5% annually and 21% over March, while exports, at 127,726 TEU, came in 0.5% below annual levels. Empty containers, at 303,310 TEU, saw a 10% gain. On a year-to-date basis through April, POLA said volume, at 3,279,704 TEU, was down 2% annually and 2% above the port’s five-year average for that timeframe.POLA Executive Director Gene Seroka said on a port-hosted media call yesterday that, in addition to April posting the port’s second-highest volumes on record, it also represented the highest monthly tally since last August.“What is driving this, generally speaking, is that the American consumer is still resilient and still spending,” said Seroka. “That is significant because last year’s numbers were already elevated, as importers front-loaded cargo ahead of tariff changes.”Reflecting on a recent trip to Asia, Seroka explained that factories were operating at full capacity, moving spring and summer merchandise into the pipeline, with that cargo now arriving at POLA. Looking ahead, he said the next wave of imports will consist of back-to-school products, followed by early holiday inventory restocking. And with U.S. manufacturing holding steady, he said the port is also seeing a consistent flow of parts and components supporting American industry.Addressing exports, the top POLA executive noted that they have been challenged for some time, with the positive caveat that the port is beginning to see recent signs of improvement and plenty of room for growth. As for empty containers, he said equipment is being cycled back to Asian export hubs, supporting the next rotation of imports bound for the U.S.With volumes positive over the first four months of the year, Seroka said cargo is being moved efficiently, with no backups or ship delays.But he added that there are more than a few things for the port to keep a close eye on as they relate to the global supply chain and port throughput.“The world outside our gates remains unsettled,” he said. “The conflict in the Middle East continues to cast a long shadow on global trade, yet here at home, the U.S. economy continues to move forward. There was 2% GDP growth in Q1 reported, and inflation, although it's higher than many of us would like, is still not runaway. And although jobs have been soft over the past 15 months, last month was just a little bit better. We haven't seen a cratering overall. Retail sales continue to show why consumers are bargain hunting. They're also buying at still near-record paces. These are just a few of the indicators we continue to watch and see as leading indicators here at the Port of Los Angeles as to how cargo flows may look in the weeks and months ahead. For now, importers remain active, helping keep cargo volumes on a steady track heading into the mid-year point.”

As previously reported, the recent announcement by Seattle-based global e-commerce giant Amazon regarding the official opening of Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), in which it will give shippers access to the same logistics network and capabilities it has spent years building to power its own operations, is expected to have significant ramifications for the industry going forward.In its announcement, Amazon explained that the rollout of ASCS extends the company’s entire portfolio of freight, distribution, fulfillment, and parcel shipping solutions to businesses of all types and sizes, adding that these services were originally developed to power Amazon’s own retail operations and to support independent selling partners worldwide.The move brings in some major early adopters. Procter & Gamble, 3M, Lands’ End, and American Eagle Outfitters are already using pieces of the network, from freight to last-mile delivery.Peter Larsen, vice president of Amazon Supply Chain Services, told LM that the impetus for the eventual rollout of ASCS goes back to Amazon’s earliest days, when the company began building a fulfillment network to place inventory closer to customers, which was subsequently expanded toward transportation, with the recognition that fast, reliable delivery wasn’t just a feature—it was the product. Over time, he explained, it evolved into a fully integrated, end-to-end supply chain capable of handling major challenges like sudden demand surges, peak seasons, and geopolitical disruptions.As the network grew more robust, Larsen noted that sellers began asking if they could use it for orders beyond Amazon—and, seeing the impact on its own partners, the question shifted from “should we offer this externally?” to “how quickly can we make it available?”In terms of the shipper benefits this new offering provides, Larsen pointed to three core strengths Amazon has developed that can be viewed as hard to replicate, including: • Capacity. While most carriers focus on just one segment of the supply chain, ASCS covers the entire process—freight, distribution, fulfillment, and last-mile delivery—all within a single network, reducing handoffs and limiting the number of vendors involved when issues arise. Amazon also builds its network to handle peak demand at a level higher than most companies, so when ASCS customers need capacity, it’s available; • The standard ASCS operates at. Larsen explained its network was designed to meet the expectations of Prime members—often considered among the most demanding customers. The company can closely monitor every defect and ensure it’s addressed, and now businesses using the network can benefit from that same high bar; and • AI capability. Larsen observed that with decades of supply chain data, businesses can leverage advanced models—like forecasting demand for over 400 million products daily or using freight technology that combines satellite imagery, road networks, and delivery history to support drivers.Looking ahead, Amazon is focused on continuously improving the ASCS experience for businesses in a few key ways.One approach it is taking is through significant investments in AI, automation, and robotics. With more than a million robots in operation today—and systems like Sequoia using AI and computer vision to process inventory up to 75% faster—the network keeps evolving, and so do the capabilities available to customers, according to Larsen.He also addressed how Amazon is broadening its reach, as evidenced by a $4 billion investment to triple its delivery network by the end of 2026, with a focus on small towns and rural areas. This will allow ASCS customers to serve more end customers with fast, dependable shipping and ensure businesses can reach their customers wherever they are.In a research note, Ravi Shanker, transportation analyst at Morgan Stanley, wrote that it could be a watershed moment for North American freight transportation companies.“ASCS is differentiated less by any one feature and more by how its scale, speed, and reliability are built across all parts of the system,” he wrote. “It combines several logistics functions into one network. First, its freight capabilities cover multiple transportation modes (such as ocean, air, rail, and trucking), allowing businesses to move goods globally with different speed options while also handling booking, customs, and tracking in one place. Second, its distribution and fulfillment system lets companies store inventory within Amazon’s network and position it closer to where customers are, which can improve delivery times and accuracy across various sales channels, not just Amazon. Finally, its parcel shipping service handles last-mile delivery, offering two-to-five-day shipping speeds, along with flexible pickup options and end-to-end tracking.”Paul Yaussy, head of parcel contract intelligence at Loop, said that through the opening of its entire logistics network to any business, not just Amazon sellers, this has real potential in the long term to disrupt the 3PL landscape.“First, this signals that Amazon's parcel shipping network is more mature than most people realized,” said Yaussy. “You don't make this kind of offer unless you're confident in your capacity and reliability. Second, it gives businesses a credible new option when negotiating with their existing logistics providers. Just having Amazon in the mix changes the conversation on pricing. The bottom line: Amazon is doing to supply chain what AWS did to IT infrastructure, taking capabilities it built for itself and making them available to everyone. That's a long game, but it's one worth paying attention to.”The visibility component of this announcement is especially significant, according to Paul Tonsager, CEO of IMS Advisory.The reason for that, he stated, is that Amazon spent 15 years making visibility a function of its delivery network, not a feature layered on top of it—with ASCS being that architecture going commercial.“The thesis applies directly: the party that controls the data controls the relationship,” explained Tonsager. “P&G, 3M, American Eagle, and Lands' End are signing up for an arrangement in which Amazon sees their inbound raw materials, cross-channel demand, returns velocity, and fulfillment SLAs at a granularity their incumbent 3PLs never had. Structurally, each of them is a USPS in waiting. That's the same data architecture playing out one node further downstream from where it played out last month. The USPS relationship looked permanent at $5 billion in revenue too.”

Report release and publisher background

Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of on-demand logistics software delivered as a service, has published the latest edition of its Global Shipping Report. The release is the report’s 56th edition, tracing the series back to its first issue in August 2021.

March U.S.-bound container volumes and rankings

March U.S.-bound container imports totaled 2,353,611 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units). That level represented a 12.4% increase from the prior month and a 1.1% decline versus March a year earlier, marking the fourth-highest monthly total on record.

February comparison and broader volume trends

In its prior edition, Descartes had reported that February imports fell 9.7% from January and were down 6.5% compared with the same month a year earlier. The firm said March’s rebound is consistent with normal seasonality after February’s dip, and reflects steady underlying demand amid ongoing policy and geopolitical uncertainties.

The report also noted that volumes remain well above pre-pandemic levels, up 32.3% relative to March 2019, while year-to-date imports through March were down 4.8% versus the prior year.

Risks, responses and industry commentary

Jackson Wood, Director of Industry Strategy at Descartes, warned that escalating tensions in the Middle East, changes in U.S. tariff policy and shifting global trade dynamics are adding volatility to routing, costs and sourcing choices. He said importers are responding by diversifying suppliers beyond traditional trade lanes, adjusting routing strategies to mitigate geopolitical risk, and using data and technology to make faster, better-informed decisions in a more complex trade environment.

China-origin imports and Lunar New Year timing

Containers arriving in the U.S. from China totaled 711,652 TEU in March. That figure was 2.3% lower than January and down 1.1% year over year. It was also 30.4% below the peak of 1,022,913 TEU recorded in July 2024.

China’s share of total U.S. imports stood at 30.2% in March, a 4.6 percentage-point decline from February. Descartes observed that the drop in China-origin volumes may partly reflect lingering effects from the 2026 Lunar New Year, which ran from February 17 through March 3; typical transit times of 30 to 50 days can shift production slowdowns into March arrival data.

Top 10 source countries and notable month-to-month movers

Imports from the top 10 countries of origin rose 8.2% sequentially in March, an aggregate gain of 122,671 TEU. Two countries accounted for much of that increase:

• Italy, up 74.5%, adding 25,565 TEU
• Thailand, up 25.6%, adding 24,682 TEU

Additional report items

The Descartes Global Shipping Report contained other key findings beyond the items summarized here. The excerpt provided did not include those additional specifics.