Estimating that cargo volume will rise 1.7 per cent year on year, NRF vice president Jonathan Gold said: "August is the peak month of the annual shipping season that builds up to the winter holidays, and a lot of the merchandise consumers will be buying this fall is already showing up at the docks."

Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.58 million TEU in June, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was down 2.8 per cent from May and 0.5 per cent year on year.

July was estimated at 1.64 million TEU, up 1.5 per cent year on year. August is forecast at 1.68 million TEU, down 0.3 per cent from last year; September at 1.61 million TEU, down 0.6 per cent; October at 1.63 million TEU, up 4.9 per cent; November at 1.52 million TEU, up 2.9 per cent, and December at 1.47 million TEU, 2.5 per cent.

Those numbers should bring 2016 to a total of 18.5 million TEU, up 1.7 per cent from last year. Total volume for 2015 was 18.2 million TEU, up 5.4 per cent from 2014. The first half of 2016 totalled 8.98 million TEU, up 1.4 per cent from the same period in 2015. 

Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said much of the recent upturn in the US economy is attributable to consumers, noting that the 5.1 per cent increase in year-on-year retail sales in June as calculated by NRF was nearly twice the 2.6 per cent increase in average hourly wages seen the same month.

"In these stressed times with uncertainty abounding amid an unusual presidential election and other issues, consumers have decided it is time to hit the stores and stock up on goods," Mr Hackett said.

 

 

 

Global Port Tracker covers Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma, New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Houston.