Import volume at major U.S. container ports is expected to remain below last year’s levels into early fall amid a rocky macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). “With inflation rising and consumer confidence falling among global economic uncertainty driven by the conflict in Iran, the overall trend of lower imports is expected to continue after that,” said Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at the NRF, in a statement. According to the Global Port Tracker report released by the NRF and trade consultancy Hackett Associates, inbound cargo volume is expected to see a significant, but “skewed” year-over-year bump in May and June. But annual declines will linger from July through September. “The numbers show a year-over-year increase for the next two months, but that’s only because of the sharp fall-off in imports after ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs were announced in April 2025,” Gold said.…