With a handful of U.S. midterm election results left to be declared the Democratic Party has taken control of the House of Representatives while the Republican Party has retained control of the Senate according to Axios data. A period of cohabitation over the next two years may make life more complicated for the administration of […]

U.S. maritime imports showed little sign of slowing in June with a rise of at least 7% vs. a year earlier. That’s likely been driven by a rush to beat duties that were implemented against Chinese exports on July 6, with imports from China up 13% vs. 3% in May and a decline in April. […]

U.S. seaborne imports surged 13% higher on a year earlier in February, the fastest rate in two years. The timing of the lunar new year is part of the reason and will be corrected in March. Shipments from China climbed 24% on a year earlier, though imports grew across the board with the exception of […]

U.S. imports started 2018 with a bang after seaborne imports rose 8% on a year earlier, the fastest since April. The main driver was a 10% surge in shipments from China, continuing a run of growth going back to February, though shipments from India and Thailand grew rapidly too. All major product groups tracked by […]

The evolution of President Trump’s trade policies was the main focus for our readers in January. The potential renewal of the GSP, but excluding India, was the most read report while our review of his first year in office – with 26 specific trade actions identified – came in fifth. Firm policy action by the […]

U.S. imports by sea climbed 4.1% in 2017 vs. a year earlier after turning in the 17th month of growth in the past 18 in December at 3.8%. There’s evidence of a “ship later” strategy to optimize inventories across supply chains, with 16.8% of imports arriving in November and December vs. 16.3% in the five […]

U.S. import growth has continued to surge, with seaborne imports having expanded by 6% on a year earlier in November. The long-term rotation of manufacturing into emerging Asia and out of developed Asian economies continued. Apparel may be seeing a renaissance after volumes grew by 7%. Continued delays in trade reviews may have been the […]

President Trump’s trip to Asia was one of the major trade events of the fall, and captured much of our readers’ attention during November. Our preview highlighted the likelihood of a focus on signing new deals rather than setting up new trade relationships. We were mostly right – except for a bilateral trade agreement process […]

U.S. seaborne imports surged ahead for an eighth month in October, rising 3% on a year earlier and setting a new record of 9.63 million shipments for the first 10 months of the year. Earlier concerns about a protectionist crimp in trade resulting from the policies of the Trump administration have not come to fruition. […]

The freight forwarders hogged the limelight in October, starting with UPS’s resurgence in U.S. inbound volumes. Panalpina and DSV both confirmed their interest in further acquisitions as the sector continues to consolidate – our analysis shows tie-ups with Asian operators makes most sense. The start of their results season saw DSV beat expectations for a […]