Retail Ports Operating Smoothly As Volume Returns

Retail Ports Operating Smoothly As Volume Returns

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 10, 2006 — The nation’s major retail container ports are operating smoothly this month as volume levels build back up after the winter slow season, according to the April Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Global Insight.

“Heading into the buildup toward the peak season, all ports are operating without congestion,” Global Insight Economist Paul Bingham said. “The outlook is for continued good performance despite challenges from continued growth in trade. We still have concerns with the condition of the rail system and challenges for the trucking industry later this year, but we expect the industry should do even better than last year, with little terminal or network congestion.”

“We were concerned last month that the Dubai Ports World issue might lead Congress to pass legislation that would impact terminal operations, but the issue appears to have been resolved and is not expected to affect port congestion at this point,” NRF Vice President and International Trade Counsel Erik Autor said. “Port Tracker will continue to monitor developments that affect the cargo supply chain whether they are taking place on the docks or in Washington.”

All ports covered by Port Tracker – 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 March.

Nationwide, ports surveyed handled 1.09 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) of container traffic during February, the most recent month for which numbers are available. The figure – the lowest volume of the slow, post-holiday winter season – was down 11.7 percent from January and 1.6 percent from February 2005. Volume is beginning to climb again and should hit 1.45 million TEU in August, up 9.5 percent from August 2005. One TEU is a 20-foot cargo container or its equivalent.

Port Tracker, which is produced by the economic research, forecasting and analysis firm Global Insight for NRF, 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 and congestion. Subscription information is available at www.nrf.com/porttracker or by calling (202) 783-7971.

Global Insight Inc. is a privately held company that brought together the two most respected economic information companies in the world, DRI and WEFA. Global Insight provides the most comprehensive economic and financial information available on countries, regions and industries, using a unique combination of expertise, models, data and software within a common analytical framework to support planning and decision-making. Through the world's first same-day analysis and risk assessment service, Global Insight provides immediate insightful analysis of market conditions and key events around the world, covering economic, political and operational factors. The company has over 3,800 clients in industry, finance and government with revenues in excess of $80 million, over 600 employees and 23 offices in 13 countries covering North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. www.globalinsight.com

The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.4 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 23 million employees - about one in five American workers - and 2005 sales of $4.4 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations. www.nrf.com.

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