Retail Container Volume Primed for Growth in 2010

"This could be the turnaround we've been waiting to see for a long time," NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. "There's not enough data yet to establish a clear trend, but we're hopeful that this is a sign of recovery."

U.S. ports surveyed handled 1.14 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units in September, the most recent month for which actual numbers are available. That was down 3 percent from August and 16 percent from September 2008, marking the 27th month in a row to see a year-over-year decline.