Retail Import Growth at US Ports ‘Off the Charts,’ Says NRF

Imports at the largest U.S. retail container ports are continuing to track double-digit year-over-year growth “as strong consumer demand keeps up its momentum,” reported the National Retail Federation Thursday. NRF estimates U.S. ports handled 2.33 million 20-foot-long containers in May, up 8.6% sequentially from April and up 52.2% from May 2020, it said. It was the highest monthly number of containers since NRF began tracking imports in 2002, topping the previous record of 2.27 million set in March. “The year-over-year growth we saw this spring was off the charts because the comparisons were against a time when most stores were shut down due to the pandemic,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president-supply chain and customs policy. “We’re continuing to see strong growth even as we enter a point when stores had begun to reopen last year. That’s a sign of the tremendous demand from consumers. The challenge for retailers and supply chains is keeping shelves stocked as port congestion and other supply chain disruptions continue to impact the industry and the economy more broadly.”