The National Retail Federation has told apparel and softlines importers that the US container shipping peak has passed, while warning that inbound volumes at major retail ports remain above seasonal norms.

"We're likely past the busiest part of the year," NRF said in comments reported by WWD, which noted that import volumes at the surveyed ports remain elevated. The trade group compiles the monthly Global Port Tracker in partnership with Hackett Associates, anchoring the index to the major container gateways that handle the bulk of US apparel imports.

How elevated are US apparel imports?

WWD did not publish a country-of-origin breakdown in its coverage. The headline "elevated" reading covers all inbound containers at the surveyed ports — a figure shaped by several years of apparel sourcing migration away from China toward Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Cambodia.

For sourcing teams the question is no longer whether goods will arrive in time for the holiday floor. Transit windows have eased, and spot ocean rates have softened from their mid-summer highs. The bottleneck has migrated from the ocean lane to the inbound customs queue.

What changes for tariff and compliance teams?

• Section 301 duties: Apparel from China-origin mills still carries the punitive tariff stack. Buyers who front-loaded Bangladesh and Vietnam suppliers have insulated the Spring 2026 floor from incremental duty exposure. Buyers holding Chinese piece goods or trim have not.
• UFLPA enforcement: Detentions under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act have continued at the surveyed ports even as total container volumes plateau. Cotton-rich and viscose lots from Xinjiang-linked supply chains face the highest hold rates.
• Yarn-forward documentation: Lacey Act paperwork and country-of-origin marking remain unchanged. Sourcing teams cannot compress visibility through the post-peak slowdown.

When does peak season typically end?

The August-to-October build cycle covers merchandise destined for the November back-to-school reset and the November-December holiday sell-through. By early November, peak-season sailings are pulled, blank sailings are reinstated, and ocean carriers shift capacity to trans-Pacific return legs.

NRF's "past peak" timing aligns with that calendar. The signal is that buyers can now move Spring 2026 orders without competing for capacity against 2025 holiday replenishment.

What sourcing decision does this force?

• Book Spring 2026 capacity now: Freight capacity softens further into December. Buyers who hold orders risk competing with January re-stocking demand from competing retail verticals.
• Decide on residual Chinese sourcing: Each container booked before the next Section 301 review carries a duty exposure that the buyer's margin model must absorb.
• Document the post-peak customs queue: Apparel lots cleared in November and December go through US Customs and Border Protection with the same enforcement posture the peak saw. There is no seasonal pause.

NRF's "past peak" call gives brand buyers the green light to push Spring 2026 orders. It is not a green light to relax forced-labor or tariff documentation at the loading dock.