July marked a tame start to the peak holiday-shipping season, as containerised import volumes at some of the busiest US ports rose from June but stumbled compared to a year ago on scaled-back consumption and retail prospects, US port officials and industry experts say, reported Market News International.
Maritime followers expect a subdued shipping season in the run-up to the year-end holidays, and they noted dampened forecasts as the year progresses. Japanese auto imports to the US, however, are ramping up again after vanishing in the months following Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami of March.
Export container volumes to the major ports were mixed in July, the latest month for which data are available. Though exports are faring better than imports this year, outbound gains have generally moderated amid gathering economic uncertainty, port officials said. Read more here.
