Fewer imports moving through Port of L.A.

We should be careful about drawing too many conclusions from a single month - or a single port - but this could be an early indicator of sluggish retail ordering for the holiday shopping season. (Also don't forget any lingering supply disruptions from the Japanese earthquake.) July import traffic fell 3.2 percent from a year earlier, while exports were up 12.8 percent. The problem is that exports represent a smaller part of the pie. That's why overall traffic was down 5.8 percent; year to date, traffic is up slightly. Here's the breakout. The Port of Long Beach has yet to report its numbers.