US CONTAINERISED imports are expected to increase 4.8 per cent in June year on year and continue to rise as the peak season develops, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.
"Retail sales have seen 22 straight months of year-over-year sales increases, and these import projections suggest retailers should see growth into the two-year mark and beyond," said NRF vice president Jonathan Gold.
Major US ports surveyed handled 1.23 million TEU in April, the latest month for which actual results are available. That was up 3.9 per cent from March and 1.5 per cent from April 2011.
May was estimated at 1.29 million TEU, up 0.5 per cent year on year, and June is forecast at 1.31 million TEU, up 4.8 per cent. July is forecast at 1.36 million TEU, up 2.5 per cent; August at 1.42 million TEU, up 7.3 per cent; September at 1.45 million TEU, up 9 per cent, and October at 1.53 million TEU, up 19.9 per cent over unusually low numbers last year.
The first half of 2012 should total 7.3 million TEU, up two per cent from the same period last year. The total for 2011 was 14.8 million TEU, up 0.4 per cent from 2010`s 14.75 million TEU. NRF projects 2012 retail sales will grow 3.4 per cent to US$2.53 trillion.
"Consumer demand for durables has been weak for quite some time and dropped further in May, yet consumer confidence is at its highest level since 2007," said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett.
Global Port Tracker surveys Long Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma, New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah and Houston.