Report says U.S. retail container imports should grow 6.3% in August

According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report, released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, U.S. import cargo volume at the nation’s biggest retail container ports is expected to rise 6.3% in August compared to the same period last year.

The report covers the ports of Long Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma, New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah and Miami, and Houston.

In the first half of 2012, a total of 7.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were handled at these ports, a 3.8% growth from the same period last year.

NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy, Jonathan Gold, said. “These numbers all show significant increases for the months when retailers will be bringing merchandise into the country for the crucial holiday season, and we’re also expecting an increase for the full year. Actual sales will depend on how consumers react to employment levels and other indicators, but retailers are clearly stocking up and hoping for a stronger fall and winter than they saw last year.”

 

Source:            www.nrf.com

Photo:             historylink.org