NRF believes that containerized imports into the U.S. will increase in the summer and then decline in the fall

"The great unknown - explained Gold in this regard - that's what will happen with the negotiations on the job in west coast ports, given that the current contract will expire on the first of July. We - he specified referring to the Pacific Maritime Association, the organization representing the main shipping companies calling at the ports of the West Coast, and the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), the union representing port workers - we continue to encourage the parties to stay at the table until when an agreement will not be concluded, but part of the increase in activity that we have recorded can represent a safeguard against any problems that could arise."

An ongoing recovery determined by the restart of activities in China: imports from China - confirmed Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates - they should start again increase now that the government has relaxed its Covid Zero policy and began to liberate the population of Shanghai from a blockade lasted months.

About the forecasts of the trend of container traffic in ports, the "Global Port Tracker" reminds that the last April the ports have enlivened a containerized traffic of import equal to 2.26 million teu containers, with a decrease of -3.6% compared to the 2.34 million teu enlivened on previous month when the monthly record of the number of containers imported since NRF started monitor imports in 2002; volume, the one moved to April 2022, which is still +5.1% higher than the one totaled in April 2021. NRF believes that in May 2022 the volume of containerized imports handled by airports port has been pairs to 2,31 million teu, with a decrease of -0,9% on May 2021 which is the second month by traffic volume absolute. Also in June 2022 a volume of traffic is expected pari a 2,31 million teu, with an increase of +7.5% on an annual basis. The forecast for July 2022 is 2.30 million teu, with a growth of +4.8% on July 2021. Expected to rise on a basis annual also for August 2022 with 2.28 million teu (+0.2%), while for the next month of September a decrease of -0.4% is expected with 2.13 million teu enlivened and a reduction in volumes is also scheduled for the following October with 2.13 million teu handled (-3.8%).

For the entire first half of this year, NRF believes that American ports will be able to handle a total of 13.5 million of imported containerized traffic teu, with a increase of +5.3% on the first half of 2021.