After months of depressed cargo volumes at ports both locally and nationwide, there are now signs that a turnaround is near.

According to a cargo forecast released today, the number of shipping containers handled by U.S. ports will remain below last year’s levels through the summer, but they could see year-over-year growth as soon as October.

The National Retail Federation and research firm Global Insight Inc., which issue a monthly port forecast, said U.S. ports handled 1.26 million cargo containers in April the most recent month for which figures are available. That is down 4.7 percent from last year, but up nearly 9 percent from March, which had the lowest container volume in the past two years of just 1.16 million units.

Volumes are expected to rise through the summer months and peak in October as retailers import products for the holiday season. It would be the first nationwide year-over-year increase since July of 2007.

At the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, peak volumes are expected to be near last year’s levels, and the groups do not anticipate any disruptions to port activity as a result of either the ongoing dockworker labor negotiations or the truck replacement program. Beginning October 1, the local ports will begin a $2.2 billion clean air plan to replace most of the diesel trucks in the harbor with more environmentally friendly rigs.

“There is hope that the ports will have escaped all key challenges to 2008 performance,” the report said.

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