Retail Container Volume Expected to End Two Years of Declines

U.S. ports surveyed handled 1.18 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units in October, the most recent month for which actual numbers are available. That was up 4 percent from September as retailers hit their busiest shipping month of the year as the holiday season approached, but nonetheless down 14 percent from October 2008 and marked the 28th month in a row to see a year-over-year decline. November was estimated at 1.09 million TEU, down 12 percent from last year, and December is forecast at 1.05 million TEU, down 1 percent from last year. January 2010 is forecast at 1.02 million TEU, down 4 percent from January 2009. One TEU is one 20-foot container or its equivalent.