Dive Summary:

• According to a report released by the National Retail Federation, the volume of retail imports is expected to slow toward the end of the summer.
• Import volume for the U.S. is expected to grow 3.3% over the same month last year during May 2013 but sustained growth is not expected, according to the report.
• Despite the expectation of weaker volume later this summer, the lack of imports may not impact retail sales or employment, according to sources.

From the article:

May’s container traffic is projected to rise to 1.42 million twenty-foot equivalent containers – a 3.3% increase over the same month last year. June and July import volumes are expected to rise 1.4% over the same period last year to about 1.4 million containers respectively. Import growth for August and September, however, is expected to be flat, according to the report.