Retail Trade Association News

With most holiday merchandise safely in the country despite significant congestion impacting West Coast ports, import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to continue to slow down this month, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. “Retailers instituted costly contingency plans early on to ensure that holiday merchandise would be on the shelves or sitting in a warehouse ready to go,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “However, we are still hearing from retailers experiencing delays at West Coast ports, and retailers are also looking ahead to the spring season. Import volume at U.S.

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to see a final surge and set a new monthly record in October as the holiday season approaches, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. “Increasing congestion at the nation’s ports as well as the ongoing West Coast labor negotiations are ongoing concerns and retailers are making one last push to make sure they’re stocked up for the holidays,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. Import volume at U.S. ports covered by the Global Port Tracker report is expected to total 1.53 million containers this month, topping the 1.52 million monthly record set in August.

Retailers concerned by the lack of a West Coast longshoremen’s contract will continue to bring merchandise into the country at above-average levels this month but volume will drop from the record set in August, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, and excerpted here. “The negotiations have made progress and retailers have been stocking up, but there’s still cargo that needs to arrive before the holiday season kicks off,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. Import volume at U.S. ports covered by the Global Port Tracker report is expected to total 1.47 million containers this month…

2013 Estimated at 2.8 Percent Over 2012. Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 4.8 percent in January over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. Estimates show 2013 up 2.8 percent over 2012. “Retailers are still assessing the holiday season, but they’re also looking ahead to see what will happen in the new year,” Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. U.S.

Retail Imports to Increase 8.5 Percent in February After East Coast/Gulf Coast Contract Deal is Reached. With a tentative contract deal reached with East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers but a key West Coast agreement unsettled, import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 8.5 percent in February over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. “We were very happy to see a deal on a tentative contract for the East Coast and Gulf Coast ports but we are urging the parties to quickly work out any outstanding issues and ratify the agreement as soon as possible,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said.

NRF Urges Labor and Management to Keep Ports Open Despite Rejection of LA/Long Beach Port Contract. The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold in response to this week’s rejection of a labor contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s Local 63 Office Clerical Unit and the Harbor Employers Association. An eight-day strike in November and December 2012 shut down most terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach before the parties agreed on a tentative new contract with the help of a federal mediator. But union members on Wednesday voted down the contract.

Retail Imports to Increase 2.3 Percent in January as Port Strike Threat Continues. Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 2.3 percent in January over the same month last year as retailers continue to urge labor and management to avoid a strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast docks, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. “The strike deadline came and went at the end of December…

NRF Calls on President Obama to Immediately Intervene to Prevent Port Strike. The National Retail Federation has issued the following statement from NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold on the breakdown of contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd.: “It is extremely disheartening to learn that the two sides failed to reach an agreement during today’s negotiations. NRF urges both sides to remain at the table until a deal is reached. “It is imperative that both sides verbally announce their intentions to return to the negotiations. A coast-wide port shutdown would have a significant impact across all businesses and industries that rely on the ports, particularly retail.

NRF: East and Gulf Coast Strike Would Have Devastating Implications for the Retail Industry. The National Retail Federation today sent a letter to President Obama to express the retail industry’s growing concern if a contract agreement isn’t reached between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd. The two sides have been in negotiations, with the assistance of federal mediators, for the past few months with little demonstrable progress. The concern for a coast-wide strike is ever increasing. While another round of talks is scheduled for this week, the contract deadline – December 29 – is quickly approaching.

The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay regarding the strike that has shut down most terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. NRF last week sent President Obama a letter asking that he intervene in the strike. “As we enter Day 6 of the strike, NRF is renewing its call for President Obama to intervene and end this work stoppage. The shutdown is already having a significant negative economic impact on retailers trying to bring in merchandise for their final push for holiday sales and will soon have an impact on consumers. The work stoppage not only impacts retailers…

Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 1.6 percent in July compared with the same month last year, and modest year-over-year increases are expected through the holiday season shipping cycle, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. “Whether consumers are going to have the confidence to spend during the next few months depends on what happens with employment, but retailers are being cautiously optimistic,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. U.S. ports followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.34 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units in May, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available.

Cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports fell again in October, and 2008 is now expected to be the slowest year since 2004 as the downturn in the nation’s economy continues, according to the monthly Port Tracker report released on Nov. 7 by the National Retail Federation and IHS Global Insight. Volume is projected to total 15.3 million Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Units for the year, compared with 16.5 million TEU in 2007. That would be a decline of 7.1 percent and the lowest total since 2004, when 14 million TEU moved through the ports. The estimate is down from the 15.43 million projected a month ago, which would have been a 6.5 percent decline from 2007 and the lowest number since 2005’s 15.4 million TEU. One TEU is one 20-foot container or its equivalent.