News
Import cargo volume at the U.S.'s major retail container ports is expected to be up 8 percent in April compared with the same month a year ago, and solid increases are expected to continue through the summer as the U.S. economy improves, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released Monday by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.
U.S. ports handled 1.01 million TEUs in February, the latest month for which actual numbers are available. That was down 6 percent from January as shipping hit its traditional slow point for the year but up 20 percent from the unusually low numbers seen during February 2009. It was also the third month in a row to show a year-over-year improvement after December broke a 28-month streak of year-over-year monthly declines.
March was estimated at 1.02 million TEUs, a 6 percent increase over last year as spring products began to head for store shelves. April is forecast at 1.07 million TEUs, up 8 percent from last year; May at 1.12 million TEUs, up 7 percent; June at 1.18 million TEUs, up 17 percent; July at 1.24 million TEUs, up 12 percent; and August at 1.32 million TEUs, up 15 percent.
The first half of 2010 is expected to total 6.5 million TEUs, up 10 percent. Imports for 2009 totaled 12.7 million TEUs, down 17 percent from 2008's 15.2 million TEUs and the lowest since the 12.5 million TEUs reported in 2003. The forecast for first-half growth is down from the 17 percent increase projected a month ago as more recent data becomes available.
