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United States importers set to accelerate shipments to record levels on tariff, strike hazards

The United States' hectic ports kicked activity up a notch in November and December, when incoming freight traffic is set to reach brand-new records, the National Retail Federation industry group said on Monday. Merchants had actually currently been frontloading purchases due to a. shortened holiday and shipping bottlenecks worldwide, but. the prospect of a midJanuary port strike and tariff increases. prepared by Presidentelect Donald Trump has big importers. accelerating their buys. The window to frontload items on vessels arriving before a. potential strike is quickly closing. Then there are problems as. Presidentelect Trump assures to increase tariffs, stated. Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and custom-mades. policy at the NRF. The International Longshoremen's Association union and the. United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group were at. odds as of November, after momentarily suspending a strike in. October. A strike could strangle activity at ports stretching. from Maine to Texas once the contract ends on Jan. 15. October's threeday strike was the first largescale strike at. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports in almost 50 years, which triggered. a summertime rush of imports to the United States. Trump's proposals for tariffs of 10% to 20% on all imports and a. 60% or more tariff on items from China have contributed to merchants'. stress and anxiety. Between September and midNovember, more than 200. companies in the S&P 1500 Index discussed tariffs on conference. calls or at financier occasions as a problem. Trump assured an additional 25% tariff on items from Canada and. Mexico and a more 10% tariff on China unless the three. nations clamped down on illegal immigration and fentanyl. flowing into the United States.

Carriers are moving up as much freight as they can previously. then. Gold added. NRF, which counts the nation's biggest carriers, Walmart. , Target and Lowe's among its members,. said in a Monday report it expects November container volumes to. hit a record 2.17 million 20-foot equivalent units

(source: Reuters)