We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC.
    • Podcast
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Dispatches
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC.
    • Podcast
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Dispatches
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
Home » U.S. ports, importers priming for the strongest volume surge in 17 years
newsworthy

U.S. ports, importers priming for the strongest volume surge in 17 years

July 10, 2017
DC Velocity Staff
No Comments

This month and next are shaping up to be two of the busiest months ever for ocean container imports entering the U.S., according to a report released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and consultancy Hackett Associates.

According to the monthly "Global Port Tracker" report, which monitors import activity at 10 U.S. container ports, 1.75 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers will enter U.S. commerce in August. That would be the highest monthly volume recorded since NRF began tracking import flows in 2000, bettering the existing record set in March 2015.

June is forecast to reach 1.66 million TEUs, up 5.1 percent from last year, while July is expected to come in at 1.66 million TEUs, up 6.2 percent year-over-year. Volumes for May, the most recent month where final data is available, hit 1.72 million TEUs, up 7.3 percent from April, and up 6.2 percent from May 2016, according to the report. October volumes are expected to exceed 1.7 million TEUs, making May, July, August, and October four of the six busiest months in the report's history, if the data comes in as projected.

Import volumes in the first half of 2017 are expected to total 9.63 million TEU, up 7.1 percent from the first half of 2016, according to the report.

The strong August volumes will be the result of back-to-school demand and the start of the pre-holiday shipping season, where seagoing goods begin flowing into the U.S. market. Over the years, seagoing peak season volumes have been hitting ever earlier on the calendar; at one time, peak volumes were in September or early October.

"We're expecting retailers to import some of the largest volumes of merchandise ever," Jonathan Gold, NRF's vice president for supply chain and customs policy, said in a statement. Gold said the port tracker data is a positive harbinger of the outlook for consumer demand and retail sales. Cargo volume does not correlate directly with retail sales because the report counts the number of containers and not the value of the cargo inside. However, NRF has said the import data provides a fairly accurate gauge of retailers' expectations.

The retail trade group has forecast 2017 retail sales—excluding automobiles, gasoline, and restaurants—will increase between 3.7 and 4.2 percent over 2016.

Global Port Tracker covers the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma, New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami, and Houston.

Transportation Maritime & Ocean
KEYWORDS Hackett Associates National Retail Federation
  • Related Articles

    Georgia ports set all-time monthly records for container volume, tonnage in May

    The Logistics Matters podcast: National Truck Driver Appreciation Week; e-commerce shopping continues to surge; the nation's ocean ports see a solid rebound | Season 1 Episode 24

    U.S. industrial property demand to stay strong in '17, CBRE forecasts

  • Related Events

    Digital Transformation in Supply Chain & Logistics

Recent Articles by DC Velocity Staff

ATA cheers court ruling upholding looser hours of service caps

Carry (or at least measure) that weight

December cargo volume up in Houston, Oakland

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Cold chain giant Lineage Logistics buys its own rail operator

  • Autonomous trucking firm Plus prepares its tech for mass launch in China in 2021

  • The Home Depot opens automated DC in greater Atlanta

  • For container lines and ports, what a difference a year makes

  • Outlook 2021: What’s in store for logistics supply chain?

Now Playing on DCV-TV

Jlt procure rugged devices thumb

What it takes to procure the right rugged devices for your warehouse

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
Procuring new rugged devices for your warehouse is often a big decision and a significant investment. It needs careful planning and consideration. It involves more than ticking boxes on a spec sheet. It includes testing and getting employee buy in. And it's about finding a partner that can work with you to deploy...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Proven Benefits: A Compendium of Slotting Optimization Success Snapshots

  • Bridging Information Gaps in Dock and Yard Operations

  • How Intelligent Sensor Solutions Turn Data Into Action

  • Order picking Solutions: Understanding Your Options

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2021. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing