News
Imports at the U.S. 's major retail container ports are expected to increase 1.5 percent this month over the same time last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. The year, which included five of the seven busiest months for imports on record, should end with a healthy 6.4 percent increase over 2016, the repot said.
Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.77 million TEUs in October, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 0.3 percent from September and up 5.9 percent year-over-year.
November was estimated at 1.64 million TEUs, down 0.3 percent from last year, and December is forecast at 1.6 million TEUs, up 1.5 percent. The total for 2017 is expected to come to 20 million TEUs, topping last year's previous record of 18.8 million TEUs by 6.4 percent.
January 2018 is forecast at 1.67 million TEUs, down 0.5 percent from January 2017; February at 1.6 million TEUs, up 11.6 percent from last year; March at 1.5 million TEUs, down 2 percent, and April at 1.66 million TEUs, up 3.6 percent. The February and March percentages are skewed because of changes in when Asian factories close for Lunar New Year each year.
NRF is forecasting that 2017 retail sales will grow between 3.2 and 3.8 percent over 2016.
