Retail imports remain higher than usual

Time：2019-02-18 09:46:46    Share：

 Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports have dipped since last fall but remain at higher-than-usual levels as a possible increase in tariffs on goods from China approaches in March, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“With trade talks with China still unresolved, retailers appear to be bringing spring merchandise into the country early in case tariffs go up in March,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said.

U.S. tariffs of 10% on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods that took effect last September are scheduled to increase to 25% on March 1 unless negotiations that began in December are successful.

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.97 million twenty-foot equivalent units in December. That was up 8.8% from November and 13.9% year-over-year. That brought 2018 to a record 21.8 million TEU, an increase of 6.2% over 2017’s record 20.5 million TEU.

January was estimated at 1.83 million TEU, up 4.1% from January 2018. February is forecast at 1.78 million TEU, up 5.7% year-over-year, and the first half of 2019 is forecast at to 10.7 million TEU, up 4.1% over the first half of 2018.

“U.S. containerized imports continue to be robust with retailers and other businesses trying to beat potential tariff increases in March,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. “The problem is that warehouses and storage facilities are running out of space.”