Imports to grow in first half of 2017 as economy improves
Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.58 million 20-foot equivalent units in December 2016, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.
Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to increase 4.6% during the first half of 2017 over the same period last year, as the nation’s economy improves and retail sales continue to grow, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF), Washington, D.C., and Hackett Associates, Washington, D.C.
“This is very much in line with what we are forecasting for retail sales and consumer spending this year,” says Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president of supply chain and customs policy. “Retailers try to balance inventories very carefully with demand. So, when retailers import more merchandise, that’s a pretty good indicator of what they are expecting to happen with sales.”