US: Zepol reports July vessel imports rise 9%

Zepol Corporation, a leading trade intelligence company, reports that US import shipment volume for July, measured in TEUs, increased 9% from June and 10.8% from July of 2011. July saw the highest volume of imports seen in one month since August of 2010. Typically, imports are highest in July and August due to retailers gearing up for the holiday bustle, but this July shows an unusually big jump. The expectations for this holiday season may be higher than in recent years.

A Closer Look at US Imports for July
Exporting Countries: Eight of the top ten countries exporting to the United States saw record-high export volumes for the year, Taiwan and Hong Kong being the exceptions. Imports into the United States from Germany increased by over 20% from June, after a 13% drop in the previous month. Similarly, imports from China rose by nearly 6% and South Korea by 10%. Conversely, Brazil is one of the few countries that saw a drop in exports bound for the United States, decreasing by over 7% from June.

U.S. Ports: Inbound TEUs into the Ports of New York and Newark posted an increase of over 12% from June, reaching a record-high for the year. The Port of Tacoma saw a 40% increase in import volume for July, while neighboring Port of Seattle saw a decrease of about 11%. The majority of ports, from the west coast to the east, posted noteworthy increases.

Carriers: All of the top ten VOCCs (Vessel-Operating Common Carriers) increased inbound TEUs from June to July. Carriers with significant increases include Mediterranean Shipping Company, APL, and Hanjin Shipping, which all posted increases of over 10%. China Shipping Container Lines, conversely, saw a decrease of nearly 15%.

Methodology
Zepol’s data is derived from Bills of Lading entered into the Automated Manifest System. This information represents the number of House manifests entered by importers of waterborne vessel goods. This is the earliest indicator for trade data available for the previous month’s import activity. The data excludes shipments from empty containers, excludes shipments labeled as freight remaining on board, and may contain other data anomalies.

For more information:
Chelsea Craven
Zepol Corporation
Tel: 612.435.2179
[email protected]
www.zepol.com