Transpacific volumes continue to climb

Los Angeles: Import cargo volume at major US container ports is expected to be up 10% in May, with double-digit increases likely to continue into the autumn as the economy improves.??"Consumers are feeling better about the economy and retailers are building up their inventories to meet that demand," said Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation (NRF). ??"It's easy to show an increase after last year's downturn, but these numbers show us that retailers are confident their sales are going to go up this summer and give us an early hint of optimism about the fall as well."??According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, US ports handled 1.07m teu in March, the latest month for which actual numbers are available. ??That was up 7% from February, traditionally the slowest month of the year, and up 12% from March 2009. [20/05/10]

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