2013 Ocean Imports Were 3.7% Higher Than 2012. Zepol Corporation (www.zepol.com) reports that U.S. vessel imports were up 3.7% from 2012, which totaled over 18.2 million TEUs (twenty-foot container) brought into the United States last year. U.S. imports in 2013 started off at a slow start but ended with a surprising and unexpected surge from July through December. Annual TEUs haven't been this high since 2007, which is a good sign for a strong recession rebound in the U.S. trade industry.