According to Port Tracker, published by the DC-based NationalRetail Federation and Waltham, MA-based economic forecasting firmGlobal Insight, cargo volume at North America's major retailcontainer ports is now expected to decline 6.5% in 2008, asmerchants carefully manage inventories in response to the sloweconomy. Volume is projected to total 15.43 million20-Foot-Equivalent Units (TEUs) for the year, compared with 16.5million TEUs in '07. The estimate is down from 15.5 million TEUsprojected in September. The total would be the lowest since '05,when 15.4 million TEUs moved through the continent's ports.

The report says container imports for August, the most recentmonth for which data is available, were up compared to July butdown 5.9% compared to a year ago. It projects an even bigger dropof 9.2% for September compared to September '07, followed byrespective declines of 4.3% for October, 6.9% for November, 2.1%for December, 1.6% for January and 5.9% for February.

"This has clearly been a difficult year and we still have achallenging holiday season ahead of us," says Jonathan Gold, NRFvice president for supply chain and customs policy. "Retailers arebeing careful to import only as much merchandise as they think theycan sell."