NRF says retail container ports quiet, but could see challenges ahead
03 Feb '06
5 min read
In the middle of the slow season for container imports, the nation's major retail container ports are operating without congestion but could face challenges ahead, according to the February Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Global Insight.
“Looking ahead to the coming 2006 peak season, we see continued challenges to system performance due to continued growth in trade that will start again within the next two months,” Global Insight Economist Paul Bingham said.
“As we must every year, we can expect some shocks to the system. However, their nature and timing is unknown just as the 2005 natural disasters and fuel price spikes couldn't be predicted. There will also continue to be rail capacity constraints and trucking concerns. But with quick decision-making and rapid mitigation steps, we hope the industry will be able to repeat the overall success we saw in 2005 and keep any terminal or network congestion to a minimum.”
“Being able to detect the unexpected and respond accordingly is one of the reasons we launched Port Tracker,” NRF Vice President and International Trade Counsel Erik Autor said.
“We don't yet know what we will face in 2006, but Port Tracker is an important tool providing retailers with the most up-to-date information to help keep their supply chains free of disruptions.”
All ports covered by the report – Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma and Seattle on the West Coast, and New York/New Jersey, Hampton Roads, Charleston and Savannah on the East Coast – are currently rated “low” for congestion, the same as in the January Port Tracker report.
marketing@alchempro.com
