Import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports to level off this month at about the same numbers as last year after nearly 18 months of year-over-year gains, according the monthly Global Port Tracker forecasts.
Traffic is expected to remain steady into mid-summer before resuming gains, said the report from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
"After nearly a year and a half of volume increases, it's not surprising to see some leveling off," said Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy. "Retailers are being cautious with how much merchandise they import due to economic pressures such as higher commodity prices, but overall consumer demand remains strong."
