The National Retail Federation said import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports remains on track for a 14.6% increase over 2009 as retailers restock their shelves and increase inventories to cater to a more confident consumer.


“The cargo numbers show that retailers are expecting a much better holiday season than they have seen over the past two years,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF VP for supply chain.


Imports of Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, or TEUs, for the first half of 2010 totaled 6.9 million, up 17% from the same period last year. The full year is forecast at 14.6 million TEU, which would be up nearly 15% from the 12.7 million TEU seen in 2009, which was the lowest since 2003. The 2010 number remains below the 15.2 million TEU seen in 2008 and the peak of 16.5 million TEU seen in 2007.