USA Imports set to increase

The US National Retail Federation has commissioned a report showing that imports are expected to remain at about the same level as last year in July, with increases beginning again later in the summer.  Consumer spending has slowed down due to rising fuel prices and general economic difficulties, but the National Retail Federation expects long term consumer demand to grow and that imports will increase significantly in the autumn.

Inventories in the retail sector are currently low, and the industry expects that this will generate shipping demand as the supply chain re-stocks.

Global Port Tracker, the report providing this data, covers the US ports of Long Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma, New York New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah and Houston.