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By Lisa Baertlein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -U.S. imports of containerized goods in September fell 8.4% from the year earlier, including a 22.9% drop in goods from China, amid ongoing trade ructions from President Donald Trump's tariff policies, data released on Thursday showed. U.S. seaports handled 2.31 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container cargo last month, the third-highest September volume on record despite being a decline from last year, supply chain technology and data provider Descartes said. With most holiday merchandise delivered earlier than usual and tariffs continuing to rise, monthly import cargo volume at the nation's major container ports is forecast to fall below the 2 million TEU mark for the remainder of the year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates said. "This year's peak season has come and gone, largely due to retailers frontloading imports ahead of reciprocal tariffs taking effect," said Jonathan Gold, NRF's vice president for supply chain and customs policy. More tariffs — 25% on upholstered furniture regardless of country and the same rate on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities — are set to take effect next week and increase in January, NRF said. A tariff increase on imports from China, delayed by 90 days in August, also is scheduled for November 10, unless a deal is reached or Trump decides on another delay. "Ongoing volatility in U.S. tariff policy is creating significant economic uncertainty," Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said. Reflecting market demand, the Drewry East-West Contract Rate Index – an average of contract rates paid by more than 100 multinational shippers, including retailers like Walmart, on 17 major ocean routes – fell 3% in the 12 months to September, the first year-on-year reduction since July 2024. To be sure, U.S. imports have held up generally well under unprecedented tariff pressures. Year-to-date volume through September was 1.9% ahead of the same period in 2024. Still, China's share of total U.S. imports slid to 33% in September from 34.5% in August, Descartes said. China-origin imports tumbled to 762,772 TEUs in September – with aluminum, footwear and electric machinery logging the steepest drops. Toys and sporting goods, as well as footwear and apparel were also down. The overall result marks a reversal from the short-lived rebound in July and August, and highlights importer sensitivity to tariff policy, Descartes said. Imports from South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany and Italy also notched year-over-year declines last month, Descartes said. Meanwhile, several Southeast and South Asian countries expanded market share, the firm said. Imports from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and India all increased. Nevertheless, month-over-month data showed a nearly across-the-board slowdown in Asian trade momentum, Descartes said. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los AngelesEditing by Marguerita Choy)

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By Alexander Marrow LONDON (Reuters) -Food group Nestle said on Wednesday it had withdrawn from a global alliance for cutting methane emissions that aims to reduce the impact of dairy farming on global warming.  The Dairy Methane Action Alliance was launched in December 2023, with members, which include Danone, Kraft Heinz and Starbucks, committing to publicly measure and disclose methane emissions from their dairy supply chains and publish plans to reduce those emissions over time.  Nestle did not say why it was pulling out of the alliance but said it would continue working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, throughout its supply chains and was sticking to its net zero commitment by 2050. On Thursday, Nestle said it was partnering with the World Farmers' Organisation to join efforts to help make food systems more resilient to climate change.  CLIMATE ALLIANCES ON THE BACK FOOT The move is the latest blow to a corporate alliance seeking to limit the impact of global warming, and comes as U.S. President Donald Trump dismantles a range of climate protection initiatives. Several major banks, for example, have left the sector's main group leading efforts to cut carbon emissions. "Nestle regularly reviews its memberships of external organizations," the Swiss company said. "As part of this process, we have decided to discontinue our membership of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance."  By the end of 2024, Nestle had reduced methane emissions by almost 21% compared to 2018 levels, the company said in its 2024 non-financial statement. Methane is nearly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, making it a major focus of attempts to curb global warming.  According to the Environmental Defense Fund, which launched the methane alliance, agriculture is responsible for nearly 40% of human-caused methane emissions, with the majority of those coming from livestock.  Nestle's logo was removed from the main page of the EDF's website, but the company's name still appears on other pages. The EDF said Nestle had decided to discontinue its membership after reviewing its external partnerships, but gave no reason for the withdrawal.  “We appreciate Nestlé’s ongoing commitment to acting on dairy emissions through its Dairy Climate Plan and Net Zero Roadmap," said Katie Anderson, senior director, business, food & forests at the EDF.  (Reporting by Alexander Marrow. Editing by Mark Potter)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)