Geri
Import cargoes are expected to decline due to increasing tariffs in the US. The US National Retailers Association (NRF) announced that import cargoes in the country's major ports are expected to decline for the first time this month since 2023 due to rising tariffs. In the statement made by NRF, the results of the Global Port Tracker report were shared. In the said report, which includes information on global port tracking within the scope of Hackett Associates cooperation, it was stated that 2.15 million containers were handled in the US ports covered by Global Port Tracker in March, and this figure increased by 5.5 percent compared to February and 11.3 percent compared to the same month last year. In the report, where the results for April have not yet been announced, it was stated that the projected volume could be 2.2 million containers and if this projection is realised, it means an increase of 9.1 percent compared to the same period last year. It was announced that the projected figure for May could be 1.81 million containers, which would mean a decrease of 12.9 percent and thus the 19-month annual increase would come to an end. It was said that the expectation was that the volume of 1.71 million containers for June would show a decrease of 20.2 percent, while it was said that it would show a decrease of 23.4 percent for July, 21.5 percent for August and 21.2 percent for September.
Jonathan Gold, Vice President of Supply Chain and Customs Policy at NRF, shared his views on the subject. ‘We are starting to see the real impact of President Trump's tariffs on the supply chain,’ Gold said. Vice President Gold stated that the global and reciprocal tariffs imposed on all countries, along with the tariffs imposed on China, Mexico and Canada for national security reasons, will result in higher costs and lower cargo volumes for businesses. As a result, consumers will be reflected as higher prices and fewer products on the shelves, Gold added, adding that retailers cancelled their orders for these reasons, and small retailers were even more negatively affected by the result.
Ben Hackett, Founder of Hackett Associates, said that imports are expected to fall by at least 20 percent from June to autumn compared to last year, and that the annual volume may decrease by more than 10 percent.
