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The National Retail Federation (NRF) says the increase in retail container traffic is an indication the economy is recovering. Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to be up 9 percent in April over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released April 11 by NRF and Hackett Associates.

“These numbers are an indication that the economy is recovering and retailers are expecting continued increases in sales through the summer and beyond,” says NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold. “There are challenges ahead from rising prices for gasoline and other essentials, but inventories are under control and retailers are optimistic.”

U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.1 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in February, traditionally the slowest month of the year and the latest for which actual numbers are available. That was down 8 percent from January, but up 10 percent from February 2010. It was the 15th month in a row to show a year-over-year improvement after December 2009 broke a 28-month streak of year-over-year declines. One TEU is one 20-foot cargo container or its equivalent.

March was estimated at 1.2 million TEU, an increase of 11 percent over March 2010. April is forecast at 1.24 million TEU, up 9 percent from a year ago. Continued increases are forecasted: May at 1.32 million TEU, up 4 percent; June at 1.38 million TEU, up 5 percent; July at 1.45 million TEU, up 5 percent; and August at 1.54 million TEU, up 8 percent.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, covers the U.S. ports of Long Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members. Subscription information for non-NRF members can be found at www.globalportracker.com.

Source: NRF