Global Port Tracker forecasts 2.31 million 20-foot-equivalent import units

Sentiment surveys remain negative despite growth indicators

U.S. importers are nearing the end of a prolonged peak season, and the Global Port Tracker from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates projects that September could be the busiest import month of 2026.

The tracker forecasts September imports at 2.31 million loaded containers, measured in 20-foot-equivalent units, about 10% above 2025. That total would exceed the 2.3 million boxes that arrived in July.

Import volumes had been expected to decline earlier than usual after many retailers brought in merchandise early to get ahead of potential new tariffs.

Jonathan Gold, the NRF’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy, said some shipments arriving in September were delayed by extreme weather in China or rerouted away from the Panama Canal because of low water levels.

In another retail measure, Loop Returns said the proportion of retailers charging return fees at least some of the time is higher than five years ago, when 43% did so. Loop Returns is an e-commerce returns-and-exchanges platform.

Several surveys also show negative views of the U.S. economy. The University of Michigan consumer-sentiment measure stood at 55.2 and remained near the lowest levels in its decadeslong history. In a monthly Gallup survey, 45% of people rated the economy poor, while the Conference Board’s consumer-confidence index was also downbeat despite being among the more optimistic readings.

The Wall Street Journal reported a mismatch between those surveys and major economic indicators. GDP grew 2.1% over the past year, the Journal described job growth as decent, and unemployment remained low. Inflation remained difficult but was much lower than four years earlier.

The Journal’s analysis said survey flaws and greater partisanship could help explain the disconnect. It also noted that negative views appeared across surveys and among political independents. University of Chicago economist Erik Hurst commented on the general mismatch between some favorable economic indicators and low consumer sentiment.

Deere, meanwhile, is rolling out an AI assistant called JD that is meant to answer farmers’ questions about the best time to plant or harvest crops and other business decisions. The system uses years of data from a farmer’s own fields.

The chatbot’s debut comes as Deere invests billions of dollars in AI-enabled farm equipment, The Wall Street Journal’s Bob Tita reported. The software can collect large amounts of data that Deere says may help farmers increase crop production and reduce costs.

Deere is offering farmers free access to JD and said it will not share the data with other parties without farmers’ permission. The Journal reported that the pledge comes as Deere tries to head off distrust in its repair practices. Earlier this year, Deere settled a “right-to-repair” lawsuit brought by farmers for $99 million.

The Wall Street Journal’s Tech: California event is scheduled for Nov. 3-4 in Napa Valley. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley and Zoox CEO Aicha Evans are among the listed participants.