North American container imports are expected to fall to their lowest level since early 2021, said maritime consultancy Hackett Associates.

Twenty-foot unit imports continue to grow at a healthy 3.6% in the first eight months of 2022, but Hackett forecasts a 2.9% decline in the second half of 2022 and that number is projected to decline a further 9.6%.

“U.S. import growth has lost momentum, especially for cargo from Asia,” said Ben Hackett, partner at Hackett Associates. has been reduced to 1,000,000, and there has been no historical surge in peak season shipments, exacerbating carrier problems.”

Cargo rates have fallen further as liners try to maintain healthy vessel utilization to maintain market share in a depressed market.

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