摘要: |
WHILE LOWER U.S.-BOUND import volumes have been a recurring theme over the last several months, the latest edition of the Port Tracker report, released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and maritime consultancy Hackett Associates, pointed to a potential rebound for imports in the coming months. "There are many uncertainties about the economy, but we expect imports to show modest gains over the next several months," said Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and Customs policy at the NRF. "Growth is a positive sign, but levels are still far below normal, and retailers will remain cautious as they work to keep inventories in line with consumer demand." For January, the most recent month for which data is available, Port Tracker noted that import volumes, for the ports covered in the report, came in at 1.81 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), for a 4.4% increase compared to December and a 16.5% annual decrease. |