U.S. seaports in January handled 6.8% less container import volume than the year-ago month, when U.S. companies rushed in goods to front-run President Donald Trump's tariffs and sent imports soaring to a record high for the month, supply chain technology provider Descartes Systems Group said on Monday. Investors monitor U.S. container imports because they are a bellwether for economic health, including consumer demand that is the main driver of the domestic economy. They also show the effects of Trump's trade policies that ripple from Main Street to Wall Street.