News
Import cargo volume at the U.S.'s major retail container ports is expected to be up 10 percent in May with double-digit increases expected into this fall as the U.S. economy improves, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released recently by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
U.S. ports handled 1.07 million TEUs in March, the latest month for which actual numbers are available. That was up 7 percent from February, traditionally the slowest month of the year, and up 12 percent from March 2009. It was also the fourth month in a row to show a year-over-year improvement after December broke a 28-month streak of year-over-year monthly declines.
April was estimated at 1.11 million TEUs, a 12 percent increase over last year as spring products headed for store shelves. May is forecast at 1.14 million TEUs, up 10 percent from last year; June at 1.19 million TEUs, up 17 percent; July at 1.25 million TEUs, up 13 percent; August at 1.32 million TEUs, up 14 percent; and September at 1.35 million TEUs, up 19 percent. The large year-over-year percent increases are partly due to easy comparisons against unusually low numbers last year.
The first half of 2010 is expected to total 6.6 million TEUs, up 12 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.
