Port Tracker says `healthy holiday season` will follow soft summer imports

THE US import container volume is expected to remain slack throughout the summer, but gains are expected in the autumn on the basis of retailers` plans to restock for the holiday season, says the Global Port Tracker, produced by US National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.

"The economy continues to face challenges, but job growth has been steady and retailers have been adding jobs. Cargo figures show retailers are expecting a healthy holiday season," said NRF vice president Jonathan Gold.


US ports surveyed handled 1.25 million TEU in June, down 2.6 per cent from May and five per cent from June 2010.


June`s volume broke an 18-month streak of year-on-year improvements dating to December 2009, and declines continued in July, which was estimated at 1.3 million TEU, down 5.7 per cent from July 2010. August is forecast at 1.4 million TEU, a 1.6 per cent decrease from a year ago, said the report.


But it also said that "actual retail sales have seen 12 straight months of growth" and expected the volume will start to raise in autumn with September having an estimated 1.48 million TEU, up 10.4 per cent year on year; October at 1.46 million TEU, up eight per cent; November at 1.31 million TEU, up 6.2 per cent, and December at 1.18 million TEU, up three per cent.


Said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett: "Industrial production in China is weak, bulk commodity imports are declining, and ports are beginning to report reduced export volumes. In the US, we have lower private consumption, lower government expenditure and lower indices like the purchasing managers` index. This is cause for concern because it could lead to lower growth of trade volumes."