Retail Import Surge Expected Through Summer

The surge of imports at retail container ports that started last summer will continue through the summer, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released on April 7 by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. “We’ve never seen imports at this high a level for such an extended period of time,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in a statement. “Records have been broken multiple times and near-record numbers are happening almost every month. Between federal stimulus checks and money saved by staying home for the better part of a year, consumers have money in their pockets and they’re spending it with retailers as fast as retailers can stock their shelves.”