US Port Congestion Impeding ‘Fluid Operations,’ NRF Says
Retail imports remain high, but there’s no telling how much the congestion at U.S. ports is denting the volume of incoming goods, the National Retail Federation reported Oct. 7. “The cargo is there for larger gains at several ports but…
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congestion issues are impacting fluid operations,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president-supply chain and customs policy. “Ships will eventually get unloaded but the pressure is on for everyone to work together to get the containers out as quickly as possible.” U.S. ports handled 2.27 million 20-foot cargo containers or their equivalents in August, NRF said. That was up 3.5% from July and 7.8% higher than a year earlier and tied March as the second-busiest month since NRF began tracking imports in 2002. The congestion and disruption come in the middle of the peak season for shipping “when retailers stock up on holiday merchandise each year, but many retailers began bringing in holiday goods this summer to be sure sufficient inventory will be available.”