The amount of containerized imports coming into the country through West Coast ports was up in March, signaling optimism about the economy.

According to The Journal of Commerce Online, Los Angeles, Long Beach and Tacoma ports reported healthy gains in imports after a lackluster February. Some believe the low numbers of Asian imports in February were due more to the Chinese New Year than a softening of the economy.
Most industry forecasts this year call for import growth of about 5%, down from last year's especially strong 17% from Asia.