NRF: Back-to-school demand boosts imports

Washington, D.C. – Kids may be unhappy about back-to-school season, but importers are surely thrilled.



Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 7.3% in July 2015 month from the same time last year as retailers stock up for the busy back-to-school season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates.



Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.61 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in May 2015, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was up 6.2% from April and 8.2% from May 2014. One TEU is one 20-ft.-long cargo container or its equivalent.



June was estimated at 1.56 million TEU, up 5.5% from 2014. July is forecast at 1.6 million TEU, up 7.3%; August also at 1.6 million TEU, up 5.5%; September at 1.63 million TEU, up 2.4%; October at 1.61 million TEU, up 3.5%, and November at 1.5 million TEU, up 7.5%.



“Now that West Coast ports have recovered from the congestion caused by the recently settled contract dispute, retailers are focused on the back-to-school season to ensure that parents can find the supplies and clothing their children need for the fall,” NRF VP for supply chain and customs policy Jonathan Gold said. “Retailers are continuing to work with their business partners to address ongoing congestion issues impacting their supply chains. Part of the solution will be Congress passing a long-term highway bill that addresses freight movement.”



A new five-year contract between the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union was ratified in May.



The first half of 2015 was estimated at 8.8 million TEU, up 6.4% from the same period the prior year.