News
Imports at the U.S.'s major retail container ports have slowed down after a months-long rush to beat increased tariffs on goods from China, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.81 million TEUs in November, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 2.5 percent year-over-year but down 11.4 percent from the record of 2.04 million TEUs set in October.
December was estimated at 1.79 million TEUs, a 3.7 percent year-over-year increase. That would bring 2018 to a total of 21.6 million TEUs, an increase of 5.3 percent over 2017's record 20.5 million TEUs.
January is forecast at 1.75 million TEUs, down 0.9 percent from January 2018; February at 1.67 million TEUs, also down 0.9 percent year-over-year; March at 1.55 million TEUs, up 0.6 percent; April at 1.69 million TEUs, up 3.7 percent, and May at 1.8 million TEUs, down 1.3 percent.
