News
Import volume at the U.S.'s major retail container ports is expected to increase 12.4 percent in March as retailers begin to stock up for the spring and the summer season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.36 million TEUs in January, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 5.3 percent from December and 4.1 percent from January 2013.
February, historically the slowest month of the year, was estimated at 1.17 million TEUs, down 8.8 percent from the same month last year. March is forecast at 1.28 million TEUs, up 12.4 percent from last year; April at 1.36 million TEUs, up 5.1 percent; May at 1.44 million TEUs, up 3.7 percent; June at 1.43 million TEUs, up 5.3 percent, and July at 1.49 million TEUs, up 3.4 percent. The first half of the year is expected to total 8 million TEUs, up 3.5 percent over last year.
The total for 2013 was 16.2 million TEUs, up 2.3 percent from 2012's 15.8 million TEUs.
The import numbers come as NRF is forecasting 4.1 percent sales growth in 2014, contingent on how Washington policies on economic issues affect consumer confidence.
