Port traffic stays busy in September

Volume slowed a bit compared with August, but both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reported big jumps in import activity from a year earlier. That could indicate a bit more optimism among retailers about holiday sales (also reflected by the better-than-expected back-to-school season). Of course, it could also mean that retailers simply want to stock up earlier so there will be no chance of logjams that delay the delivery of seasonal merchandise. From Reuters:

"Import volume last year was very low and that's why we're expecting such growth in October on a year-over-year basis," said Ben Hackett of Hackett Associates. "We've mostly been seeing positive indications. Annual average import volume grew by 16 percent in 2010 compared to last year. This came as retailers restocked after the collapse of inventories, U.S. industries imported more manufacturing inputs and consumer spending improved," he added. The report also said that the peak import season, when retailers stock for the holiday season, shifted to August in 2010, a month earlier than usual.

Meanwhile, export activity continues to be spotty - L.A. reported a small decline from a year earlier, while Long Beach was up 13.4 percent. Export activity is usually harder to decipher than imports because volume can be based on a variety of factors, from the price of the dollar to global demand.