MAJOR US retail container ports are expected to handle imports totalling 14.5 million containers in 2010, an increase of 15 per cent compared to last year, according to the latest monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

"We aren't back to where we were two years ago and consumers aren't convinced that the recession is over quite yet, but 2010 is clearly going to finish better than last year," said NRF vice president for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold. "Cargo numbers this summer are showing unusually high percentage increases, but that appears to be an indication of shortages in shipping capacity earlier in the year rather than sales expectations."

US ports handled 1.32 million TEU in June, the latest month for which actual numbers are available. That was up four per cent from May and 30 per cent from June 2009.

July was estimated at 1.38 million TEU, up 25 per cent over last year. August is forecast at 1.32 million TEU, up 14 per cent; and September is also forecast at 1.32 million TEU, up 16 per cent.

The first half of 2010 was estimated at 6.9 million TEU, up 17 per cent from the same period last year.

"The large double-digit increases in June and July appear to be the result of backlogs built up due to the lack of shipping capacity earlier in the year after ship owners took vessels out of service during the recession and were slow to return them as the economy began to pick up. With many retailers appearing to bring merchandise in early to avoid any further bottlenecks, July is likely to be the peak shipping month for 2010 rather than the traditional rush of holiday season merchandise in October," said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett. "The traditional peak season may be melting away."
(Source:www.schednet.com)