Top U.S. Imports & Exports with Europe

‘Auto parts’ was the top containerized import commodity from Europe in February 2013, up 14% over February 2012. The top 10 commodities shown above accounted for 36% of the total box import trade from Europe.

‘Paper & paperboard’ was the top containerized export commodity to Europe in January 2012. A sharp increase was seen PVC resins shipments, up 179% YOY. The top 10 commodities shown above accounted for 42% of the total export trade to Europe.

For more information about how PIERS Trade Intelligence can help you track U.S. imports & exports for any commodity or region visit www.piers.com.

U.S. Containerized Imports Up 0.6% in August

U.S. containerized imports decelerated sharply in August after jumping by 10.5 % year over year in July reports the JOC, a PIERS sister company. Utilizing PIERS waterborne data, total U.S. containerized imports edged up 0.6% in August 2012, compared to August 2011, to a total of 1.54 million TEUs. Imports declined 2.1 % in August versus July. Year to date, through August, overall U.S. containerized imports were up 3.2%.

Leading the gains were auto parts, up 16% versus August, 2011; decorations, up 12%; still wines, up 17%; and paper & paperboard, up 6%. Leading the losses were footwear, down 30 %; auto tires, down 14%; and computers, down 15%, all compared to August 2011.

A full analysis of these findings is available online at www.joc.com, or for a more a granular look at U.S. waterborne shipments including company names, commodity, carrier, country of origin/destination and more, visit www.piers.com to register for a free demo.

U.S. Container Imports Up 3.2% in June

As predicted by PIERS/JOC Economist Mario Moreno, U.S. container imports rose 3.2% in June; led by steady growth in furniture and auto parts, which contributed to an overall increase of 2.4% through the first half of 2012, according to data from PIERS.

This is in line with Moreno’s forecast of 4.1% full-year growth. Total U.S. imports in Q2, up 2.9%, and imports from Asia, up 2.7%, exceeded forecasts by 0.4% and 2.4% respectively. “Growth was modest at best,” Moreno said. “Trade with China was helped by declining import prices as the Renminbi began to lose value against the dollar. The outlook for containerized trade in the second half of the year continues to show downside risks as unemployment is stuck at +8%, and fiscal woes in Europe could escalate even more.”

Furniture continued to lead import volumes, up 7% in Q2, despite flat home sales year to date, Moreno noted. He cautioned that this momentum will not last if hiring remains stalled. However, manufacturers increased auto production, driving auto parts imports up 19%.

On the downside, demand for imported footwear continued the downtrend due to rising import prices and poor demand outlook. Footwear imports declined 18%.

More of Moreno’s trade and economic analysis can be found in his blog or by following him on Twitter @MarioMoreno_JoC.

Want to learn more about the details behind these container imports? PIERS solutions provide the support needed to accurately track vital trade intelligence around the world. Contact us today to have a PIERS solutions expert show you more.