imports

US poised to restrict low-value imports from China

A third of e-commerce imports could be impacted if the Biden administration, as expected, this week further moves to plug a vulnerability in the nation’s trade system by excluding merchandise covered by tariffs on China from a program that offers duty-free access for low-value shipments.

U.S. border authorities on Monday said they will require certain shippers to electronically submit additional data on low-value consignments prior to arrival so they can more effectively target high-risk...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-poised-to-restrict-low-value-imports-from-china

Will the maritime momentum continue in 2025?

Chart of the Week: Inbound Ocean TEUs Index, Customs TEUs Index – USA SONAR: IOTI.USA, CSTEU.USA

U.S. container import demand is up more than 20% over where it was two years ago, according to U.S. customs and SONAR’s bookings data. While many expected steady increases in container volumes in 2023, the strong growth in 2024 was not on as many people’s bingo cards. What should we expect in 2025?

Import demand cratered in late 2022 thanks in large part to the inventory glut created by the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/will-the-maritime-momentum-continue-in-2025

Container imports to surge ahead of strike, tariffs, NRF predicts

Containerized imports are expected to continue to surge through U.S. ports into the new year as shippers look to beat a possible strike by East and Gulf Coast longshore workers and planned tariffs by the incoming Trump administration, according to a new forecast.

October volume totaled 2.25 million twenty-foot equivalent unit through ports covered by the Global Port Tracker. That was off by 1.2% from September but ahead 9.3% from October 2023.

The data did not include the Port of Miami, which has...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/container-imports-to-surge-ahead-of-strike-tariffs-nrf-predicts

Texas dealer must pay $1.9M in taxes on Chinese-made tires, court rules

A Houston-based trucking wholesaler and retailer is responsible for $1.93 million in excise taxes for tires it bought from Chinese manufacturers in order to resell them in the U.S., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled.

The 5th Circuit’s opinion Monday reversed a district court ruling in September that Texas Truck Parts & Tire Inc. wasn’t responsible for the excise taxes on the tires it purchased because customs forms showed that the Chinese companies imported the tires, according...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/texas-dealer-must-pay-1-9m-in-taxes-on-chinese-made-tires-court-rules

Port roundup: Strong annual growth across the board

The Lunar New Year has come and gone, but its impact at U.S. ports has been felt for weeks after the holiday.. Even with the impacts of the Lunar New Year arising at ports across the country in the form of sequential declines in imports, port figures across the board are holding up compared to the previous year.

Across the ports, Lunar New Year’s arrival about two weeks later than in 2023 is causing the sequential dip in volumes.

The Port of Los Angeles led the West Coast ports higher on an...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/port-roundup-strong-annual-growth-across-the-board

Descartes: Container import volume trajectory is strong

The container market continued to show strength in March as the pull forward ahead of the Lunar New Year continues to pay dividends at the ports.

According to the monthly report by Descartes, U.S. container import volumes in March climbed by 0.4% from February and over 15% from March 2023. The year-over-year gains can be explained by the timing of the Lunar New Year: This year’s holiday occurred nearly three weeks later than in 2023.

Descartes reported that U.S. container import volumes in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/descartes-container-import-volume-trajectory-is-strong

Port Houston shows import strength in February

The Gulf Coast ports have received a lot of attention in recent years and rightfully so. The ports along the Gulf Coast provided a pressure relief valve of sorts, though they suffered with congestion throughout the pandemic as well.

What separates the Gulf Coast ports from the major East and West Coast ports is the importance that bulk cargo and the industrial sector as a whole play in port volume. At Port Houston, over a third of all tonnage cleared in 2022 was noncontainerized.

Source: Port...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/port-houston-shows-import-strength-in-february

Import demand growth robust leading into Lunar New Year

Chart of the Week: Inbound Ocean TEUs Volume Index – Port of Los Angeles, Port of Savannah, Port of New York/New Jersey, Port of Long Beach  SONAR: IOTI.USLAX, IOTI.USSAV, IOTI.USNYC, IOTI.USLGB

Bookings for twenty-foot equivalent units (IOTI) spiked well above last year’s levels for freight bound for the nation’s top four port complexes heading into Chinese New Year (CNY). 

The IOTI is an index that measures container volumes being booked by departure date from the port of origin, about 15-30...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/import-demand-growth-robust-leading-into-lunar-new-year

Port of Los Angeles shines in January

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The Port of Los Angeles’ January import numbers highlight that the inventory glut of 2022 and early...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/port-of-los-angeles-shines-in-january

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