Insights - January 2016 - (Page 10)

IANA's Intermodal Market Trends and Statistics go to www.intermodal.org. Import Volumes Level with Last Holiday Push According to the Dec. 8 Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, the nation's top containerports handled 1.56 million twenty-foot equivalent units in October, the latest month for which after-thefact numbers are available. That was down 4.1 percent from September and 0.1 percent from a year ago. November import cargo volumes at major U.S. retail containerports were tracking essentially unchanged in year-over-year comparisons as stores brought in the last round of merchandise for the holiday season. The month was estimated at 1.5 million TEUs, up 7.4 percent from 2014, and December's forecast was placed at 1.44 million TEUs, down 0.1 percent from 2014. Those numbers would bring 2015 to a total of 18.3 million TEUs, up 5.5 percent from 2014. NRF was forecasting a 3.7 percent increase in holiday sales over the 2014 season. Cargo volume does not directly correlate with sales figures, NRF pointed out, because each container counts the same regardless of the value of its contents. Cargo does, nonetheless, provide a barometer of retailers' expectations. "Retailers went into the season with strong inventories that ensured consumers would have a good depth and breadth of selection, and that should hold true for the remainder of the season," said Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy for NRF. "U.S. retail sales increased in October by the most in three months and consumer sentiment rose as well, but the inventory-to-sales ratio remained stubbornly high at levels not seen since the Great Recession in 2009," said Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates. "Personal savings increased, but on the flip side so did the use of credit cards." Global Port Tracker covers the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades and Miami on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. Port News FIT Signs Long-Term Lease at Port Everglades Florida International Terminal renewed its long-term marine terminal lease with Port Everglades. The agreement includes relocating the FIT terminal within the port's Southport area during construction for the Southport Turning Notch Extension project. The project will lengthen the existing deepwater turn-around area from 900 feet to 2,400 feet, which will allow for up to five new cargo berths. Construction is expected to begin in early 2017 and be completed by the end of 2019. 10 Intermodal Insights | January 2016 http://www.intermodal.org http://www.IMCCompanies.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Insights - January 2016

Bill Would Eliminate Risk of Port Slowdowns
Driver Coercion Rule Finalized
Five-Year Transportation Bill Passed
Broome and George Join IANA Board
IANA Names New 2016 Officers
IANA Welcomes New General Counsel
Sustainability News
FAST Act Moves Freight Forward
Nominations Sought for Silver Kingpin Award
Legislation and Regulation Top the Intermodal Stories of 2015
Freight Reports
Port News
People in the News
Welcome New Members
In Brief
2015 Article Index by Subject
Intermodal Calendar

Insights - January 2016