The National Retail Federation (NRF) said it also expects year-over-year increases to continue into the holiday season shipping cycle.

“Retail sales have seen 22 straight months of year-on-year increases, and these import projections suggest retailers should see growth into the two-year mark and beyond,” NRF said.

“Cargo numbers don’t correlate directly into sales numbers, but they are an indicator of how much retailers think they can sell.”

US