Retail group says port congestion under control

Retail group says port congestion under control    The National Retail Federation, confirming other industry accounts, said there is little evidence so far of the congestion that plagued major West Coast ports last year, despite the increase in inbound container volumes primarily due to the end of textile and apparel quotas.
   The trade association said business is normal at the ports of Los Angeles-Long Beach, Oakland, New York-New Jersey; Norfolk, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; and Savannah, Ga. The twin ports of Tacoma and Seattle are still fluid, but have the potential for congestion due to rapid container growth as carriers divert ships from the Port of Vancouver where 1,000 truckers are on strike and the busy California ports.
   The news on port and inland transportation systems was compiled by data analysis firm Global Insight, which will produce a monthly “Port Tracker” report for the NRF. The report will assess conditions at these ports and make forecasts for the following six months. The report looks at inbound container volume, the availability of trucks and railroad cars to move cargo out of the ports, labor conditions and other factors that affect cargo movement.
   The Port Tracker’s three-level “Congestometer” shows congestion levels are low at three-fourths of the nation’s major ports, the NRF said.
   According to the report, 1.23 million TEUs were handled during June at the seven port complexes covered in the survey, an increase of 11.2 percent from the year-ago period. Traffic is expected to rise to 1.32 million TEU in October, up 7.6 percent from a year ago, before settling to 1.23 million TEU in December, up 6.8 percent from last year, the NRF said.