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
    • Subscriptions
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Change Me
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • The Logistics of Defense
      • 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
    • Subscriptions
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Change Me
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • The Logistics of Defense
      • 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 » April container import statistics “significantly” better than expected

April container import statistics “significantly” better than expected

NRF and Hackett report finds U.S. ports rebounded 17% from four-year low in March, but remain well below 2019 levels.

shipping containers at dock
June 8, 2020
DC Velocity Staff
No Comments

The impact of Covid-19 at major U.S. retail container ports appeared to ease slightly in April, with projected imports remaining below last year’s levels but not as much as previously forecast, according to the Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and consulting firm Hackett Associates.

“The numbers we’re seeing are still below last year, but are better than what we expected a month ago,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in a release. “It may still be too soon to say but we’ll take that as a sign that the situation could be slowly starting to improve. Consumers want to get back to shopping, and as more people get back to work, retailers want to be sure their shelves are stocked.”

Despite the slight improvement, the report predicted that the U.S. economy is not likely to stage a sudden comeback, but may be launching a slow, steady buildup. “Imports are erratic, with one month up and the next down,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said in the study. “Getting 40 million people back to work will take time, especially with many fearful of catching the virus and staying home. That makes a rapid return to an economic boom unlikely.”

U.S. ports covered in the study handled 1.61 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in April, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was down 7.8% from a year earlier, but up 17% from a four-year low seen in March and significantly better than the 1.51 million TEU previously expected.

The report covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast.

In other measures of U.S. container volumes cited in the report:

  • Imports for the six-month period from April through September are expected to total 9.74 million TEU, a 3% improvement from the 9.46 million TEU expected a month ago. 
  • The first half of 2020 is forecast to total 9.46 million TEU, down 10% from the same period last year but better than the 9.15 million TEU expected a month ago. Before the extent of the pandemic was known, the first half of the year was forecast at 10.47 million TEU.
  • Imports during 2019 totaled 21.6 million TEU, a 0.8 percent decrease from 2018 amid the trade war with China but still the second-highest year on record. 

Americans are expected to spend $5.1 billion this spring as they celebrate #highschool and #college #graduation. See the top #Graduation2020 gifts: https://t.co/4f3QGR50p0 pic.twitter.com/i5jJce8xbF

— National Retail Federation (@NRFnews) June 3, 2020
Maritime & Ocean Global Logistics Business Management & Finance
KEYWORDS Hackett Associates NRF
  • Related Articles

    Loaded container volume down nearly 13% in Oakland

    Monthly cargo volume declines at Port of NY and NJ

    Sea container imports seen better than expected in holiday period, report says

Recent Articles by DC Velocity Staff

ProMatDX 2021: Lift trucks get lighter, more spacious

ProMatDX 2021: Facility design in the age of “new” commerce

ProMatDX 2021: Finding sustainable warehouse solutions

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

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • A look into the future of robotics

  • A primer on warehouse robots

  • Exotec Skypod System Adopted by Gap Inc. to Optimize Returns Process

  • Roadrunner Freight bolsters LTL capabilities with $50 million in new backing

  • Truck driver availability tightens to three-year low, ACT says

Now Playing on DCV-TV

Eb277b97 c776 48f1 98e6 6591f2fc98c2

Are you Considering Using Automated Guided Vehicles or Autonomous Mobile Robots in your Facility?

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
Flooring is one key component that should be considered for optimal robotic performance on elevated platforms. Gloss, texture, wear, and the condition of the floor can all effect the ability of the robot to run at its peak operating levels. Learn how ResinDek flooring can solve these issues.

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Special Report: Supply Chain Trends in Retail & Consumer Goods

  • Fortify Your Operational Resilience

  • Cold Storage Automation: Leveraging Advanced Technologies to Meet Increasing Demand

  • The modern warehouse: Maximizing productivity and capacity

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