News

Corporate Update

US: Resilient Trade In A High Cost Cycle

• By  Textile Excellence
• April 16, 2026

Import volumes at major U.S. container ports remain largely unaffected by the Iran conflict, but rising fuel costs are emerging as a growing concern for retailers, according to the latest Global Port Tracker from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Retailers don’t import much from the Middle East, but disruption anywhere has ripple effects,” said NRF’s Jonathan Gold, pointing to rerouted vessels, higher fuel costs and softer consumer spending as key risks. Retailers, he added, are “monitoring daily” and working to limit disruption, even as tariffs and policy uncertainty continue to push prices upward.

Tariffs remain a parallel pressure. The U.S. government has imposed a temporary 10% global tariff under the Trade Act of 1974, revised Section 232 duties on metals and extended new tariffs to pharmaceuticals. These measures are weighing more directly on import volumes than geopolitical tensions.

U.S. ports handled 1.95 million TEU in February, down both month-on-month and year-on-year. First-half 2026 imports are projected at 12.3 million TEU, slightly below 2025 levels, with uneven monthly trends.

Taken together, the data points to a supply chain that remains operationally stable but increasingly cost-pressured. Elevated fuel prices are feeding into inflation, squeezing margins for businesses and limiting consumer spending power, creating a broader drag on trade momentum and economic growth.

“Retailers don’t import much from the Middle East, but disruption anywhere has ripple effects,” said NRF’s Jonathan Gold, pointing to rerouted vessels, higher fuel costs and softer consumer spending as key risks. Retailers, he added, are “monitoring daily” and working to limit disruption, even as tariffs and policy uncertainty continue to push prices upward.