Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/643635
18 January 2016 www.cargobusinessnews.com Port neWs tainer ports is expected to slowly decline through the first quarter of the year, ac- cording to the latest issue of Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. "This is the time of year when the retail supply chain catches its breath be- fore the next big rush begins," NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. "Retailers are still tallying the bottom line of the holiday season, but they're also making plans for the spring and summer." Ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.48 million TEUs in Novem- ber, the latest month for which there is verifiable data. With most holiday goods already in the country by that point, volume was down 5 percent from October but up 6 percent from the year before. December was estimated at 1.44 million TEUs, the same as 2014. The numbers are still subject to change, but 2015 came to a prelimi- nary total of 18.2 million TEUs, up 5.4 percent from 2014. January 2016 is forecast to be up 18.9 percent at 1.47 million TEUs, sig - nificantly up from weak volume seen a year ago just before the contract for West Coast dockworkers was signed, ending months of congestion. Febru - ary is forecast at 1.41 million TEUs, up 17.5 percent, also skewed by the congestion. March is forecast at 1.34 million TEUs, down 22.4 percent from high levels seen when a flood of back - logged cargo started to flow. Patterns are expected to return to normal in April, which is forecast at 1.48 million TEUs, down 1.8 percent from last year. May is forecast at 1.55 million TEUs, down 3.5 percent from last year. Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said inventory levels remain high, in part due to warm weather that reduced demand for winter clothing. "We continue to remain concerned about the high inventory-to-sales ratio," Hackett said. "Enough time has passed since the disruption on the West Coast that we can no longer look to that for justification of the high level." 1/11: PoRT of oAklANd oPENS REvAMPEd CoNTAiNER TERMiNAl The Ben E. Nutter Terminal at the Port of Oakland has reopened follow- ing two months of improvements to upgrade cargo handling, and this week will receive its first container ship since early December. "Across the port we're taking steps to improve performance and efficiency," said Maritime Director John Driscoll. "We're pleased that the management of Ben E. Nutter Terminal shares our de - sire to upgrade operations in Oakland." Located in Oakland's Outer Har- bor, Nutter terminal is managed by Everport Terminal Services. It began renovations in November and closed last month to complete improvements that include rebuilt entrance gates for harbor truckers, more than 100 new pieces of cargo-handling equipment and a new terminal operating system. The terminal reopened last week to begin receiving export cargo and empty containers. It resumed vessel opera - tions Friday with arrival of the 1,100- foot container vessel Ever Liberal. The Nutter terminal serves all Ever- green Line ships calling Oakland. It's named after former Port of Oakland Ex- ecutive Director Ben E. Nutter, consid- ered a pioneer in containerized trade. PoRT of lA WElCoMES biggEST ShiP To CAll A N. AMERiCAN PoRT The largest container ship ever to call at a North American port arrived at the Port of Los Angeles at dawn on Saturday, December 26, according to a port statement. French shipping giant CMA CGM launched the massive vessel on Decem- ber 10. The CMA CGM Benjamin Frank- lin is 1,300 feet long, 177 feet wide and has the capacity of nearly 18,000 TEUs. The giant container ship, the world's 10th largest, went on to dock at the Port of Oakland on New Year's Eve. It is scheduled to provide regular service be- tween China and the U.S. West Coast. The visit is a taste of things to come, and a first instance for the West Coast ports to test their readiness to rapidly load and unload the huge ships in a timely and cost effective manner. PoRT EvERglAdES iSSUES Rfi foR NEW REgioNAl logiSTiCS CENTER Port Everglades has issued an RFI (request for information) from com- panies interested in developing, fi- nancing and managing a regional log istics center on approximately 16.7 acres of land on the port. Port officials want to establish a new logistics center to replace the older, on- port Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) ware- house facility, which sits on land that will be redeveloped into a marine terminal. The RFI s meant to gather input on a number of questions associated with the development, financing and con- struction of the facility and applicable value-added services such as consoli- dating and stripping containers; de- palletizing, packaging, distribution, transloading, labeling and sorting of cargo; and fumigation and cold stor- age of perishables. The RFI is currently open with Bro- ward County for firms interested in the project through January 25, 2016.