Oct. Imports Decline Ended 14-Month Growth Streak: NRF

The National Retail Federation expects imports at major U,S. retail container ports will end 2021 with the largest volume and fastest growth on record despite supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reported the association Wednesday. U.S. ports handled 2.21 million 20-foot-long cargo container equivalents in October, up 3.5% from September but down 0.2% from October 2020, for the first year-over-year decline since July 2020, it said. The decline ended a 14-month streak of year-over-year growth that began in August 2020, after stores initially closed by the pandemic reopened and retailers worked to meet demand, said NRF. “Even with the decline, October was still among the five busiest months on record.”