Retail Imports to Rise 2.3% in January, NRF Says

Import cargo volume at major U.S. ports will increase 2.3% this month from a year ago as retailers continue to urge labor and management to avoid a strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, according to a report by the National Retail Federation.

The latest extension of contract talks between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance runs through Feb. 6, following previous strike deadlines in September and October, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report compiled by NRF and Hackett Associates.

The union and management are scheduled to meet this week under the supervision of federal mediators, but the ILA walked away from local talks affecting the Ports of New York and New Jersey earlier last week, NRF said.

A strike would close 14 ports from Maine to Texas where nearly 15,000 dockworkers handle 40% of the U.S. ocean cargo, the report said.

“The strike deadline came and went at the end of December, but the threat of closing down nearly half our nation’s port capacity has only been postponed, not eliminated,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF’s vice president for supply chain and customs policy.

“The uncertainty of what will happen in February has retailers implementing expensive contingency plans yet again and is a burden our economy cannot afford,” he said in a statement.