US cargo imports to increase in October -NRF

NEW YORK, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Import retail shipping traffic
at major U.S. ports shot up 23 percent in August, compared with
year ago levels, and should continue to rise in the coming
months due to improvements in the U.S. economy, according to a
report by the National Retail Federation research firm Hackett
Associates.

U.S. ports handled 1.42 million 20-foot cargo container
units or equivalent in August, the latest month for which data
is available, a rise of 3 percent compared with July.

The Global Port Tracker report estimated the number of
20-foot cargo containers or equivalent units handled in U.S.
ports had risen by 20 percent year-on-year in September and
would rise by 11 percent over year-ago levels in October. (See
table below)

"Import volume last year was very low and that's why we're
expecting such growth in October on a year-over-year basis,"
said Ben Hackett of Hackett Associates.

"We've mostly been seeing positive indications. Annual
average import volume grew by 16 percent in 2010 compared to
last year. This came as retailers restocked after the collapse
of inventories, U.S. industries imported more manufacturing
inputs and consumer spending improved," he added.

The report also said that the peak import season, when
retailers stock for the holiday season, shifted to August in
2010, a month earlier than usual.

"This came because retailers imported goods earlier than
usual and the decline we expect in the coming months is only a
seasonal downturn," Hackett added.

The Global Port Tracker report covers Los Angeles, Long
Beach, Oakland, Seattle, and Tacoma ports on the West Coast;
New York, New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah
ports on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast.
MONTH UNITS SHIPPED(TEU) CHANGE VS YEAR AGO
********************************************************
August 1.42 million 23
September* 1.37 million 20
October* 1.32 million 11
November* 1.21 million 11
December* 1.12 million 3
*Estimates. SOURCE: National Retail Federation and Hackett
Associates

(Reporting by Selam Gebrekidan; Editing by Walter Bagley)