Retail Container Volume Primed for Growth in 2010

The report now expects 2009 to end with a total volume of 12.7 million TEU, a drop of 16.8 percent from last year's 15.2 million TEU and the lowest since the 12.47 million TEU imported in 2003. One TEU is one 20-foot container or its equivalent.

"The second half of 2009 has continued to see declines from 2008's levels, but not as large as we saw during the first half of this year," IHS Global Insight Economist Paul Bingham said. "These less bad numbers are evidence that the industry is seeing early signs of recovery."