Retail Imports to Return to ‘Usual Seasonal Patterns’ After Year of Tariffs, NRF Says
Import volume at major U.S. retail container ports is expected to return to its “usual seasonal patterns” in early 2020 after “a year of fluctuations driven by the uncertainty of the trade war with China,” the National Retail Federation said.…
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The “cycle of imports surging ahead of expected tariff increases” was not good for retailers “trying to manage their inventory levels or trying to make long-term business plans,” the NRF said. It estimates the U.S. handled 1.67 million 20-foot-long cargo containers or their equivalents in November, down 11.2 percent from October and down 7.5 year-over-year, it said. “With on-again, off-again progress on trade negotiations reported throughout the fall and other factors affecting shipping, an expected surge ahead of the canceled December tariff increase did not materialize.”