Latest Industry Topics
• April retail sales continue upward trend (May 2010)
Keeping in line with retail sales growth from February to March, the United States Department of Commerce and the National Retail Federation recently reported retail sales were up again from March to April.
March retail sales, which include non-general merchandise like automobiles, gasoline, and restaurants, at $366.4 billion were up 0.4 percent from March, which was up 1.6 percent from February, and were up 8.8 year-over-year, according to the Department of Commerce. And total retail sales were up 9.6 percent year-over-year.
The NRF reported that April retail sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) increased 0.5 percent seasonally adjusted over March and 4.6 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
• China may become top importer of DDGs from US (May 2010)
China′s insatiable demand for protein helped make the country the No. 2 export destination of U.S. distillers′ grains in the first months of 2010 and it could overtake Mexico as the top export destination by the end of the year.
China will likely continue buying U.S. distillers′ dried grains with solubles (DDGs) and corn after a poor harvest helped to push up prices.
• China overtook Germany to become the world′s largest exporter (Jan 2010)
China′s exports fell by around 17% in 2009 as a whole, but other countries′ slumped by even more. As a result China overtook Germany to become the largest exporter in the world and its share of world exports jumped to almost 10%, up from 3% in 1999.• ISM index indicates economic recovery (Jan 2010)
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM)′s non-manufacturing index slipped back into the red in November, but the overall economic picture still points to an upward trend, according to the institute.
Anthony Nieves, chair of the ISM′s Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said the non-manufacturing index, or NMI, which the institute uses to measure the non-manufacturing sector, fell 1.9 points to 48.7 percent. Technically, any number below 50 is classified as "contraction," while a number above 50 represents growth.
• Railroad shipping volume down in Oct (November 2009)
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported that total volume for the week ending October 24 was down 14.8 percent compared to the corresponding week last year and 17.3 percent from the same week in 2007.
Through the first 42 weeks of 2009, the AAR said that U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,207,180 carloads, an 18 percent annual decline and an 18.3 percent decline from 2007. Trailers or containers-at 7,969,780-were down 16.4 percent from 2008 and 18.3 percent from 2007. And total volume of an estimated 1.2 trillion ton-miles was down 17.1 percent from 2008 and 15 percent from 2007. • $20.9 Million to Improve Hazardous Materials Planning and Training (October 2009)
The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it is awarding $20.9 million to states, territories and Native American tribes to improve the nation′s response to transportation incidents involving hazardous materials. The grants will help train first responders to react to incidents involving hazardous materials and to meet the safety challenges posed by new chemicals and alternative energy products such as ethanol. • Japan-US agreed mutual AEO program (Sep 2009)
Japan Customs and Tariff Bureau in Ministry of Finance and U.S. Customs and Border Protection signed the mutual recognition agreement in AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) program.
The trade operators who have solid security standards and compliance structure are granted AEO status. With the mutual recognition agreement in US and Japan, such AEO will be treated as superior traders and benefit simpler and speedier customs procedures, contributing to the safer and smoother trade between US and Japan.
For Japan, this AEO mutual recognition is second agreement next to New Zealand. For U.S., this is 4th agreement, next to New Zealand, Canada, and Jordan. And it is the 5th, worldwide.
• Mexico posts May trade surplus despite export plunge (July 2009)
Mexico posted a surprise trade surplus in May as exports declined at a slower rate despite a flu outbreak. The country posted a $680 million trade surplus during the month, with exports sliding 33% from a year earlier, Mexico′s statistics agency said. Things are looking a little better, said Luis Chaires, who runs the company′s operations in Mexico and Latin America. An outbreak of a flu virus paralyzed parts of the Mexican economy in May, including several auto plants, but Mexican factory sentiment has generally improved in recent months, with readings pointing to smaller falls in future output. At the same time, many analysts don′t expect the economy will grow in annual terms until late this year at the earliest. • The current trends of the East Coast ports in Canada (May 2009)
While the current economic recession is still raging throughout the world, Canada is striving to implement some revival measures for their Atlantic trade. The port of Halifax, for example, has added the worlds third largest container lines for the lane connecting North America with the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Australasia. In addition, the port has been developing business with Asian container lines via the Suez Canal. The new service will offer competitive transit times for the Asian exports. This year, the Halifax Port Authority has earmarked about C$12.5 million for investments in cargo-related projects. The Halifax Port has decline in the volume of container cargo last year, but certain sectors, B/B, Ro/Ro, and Cruise, has yielded favorable results. • Retail import volume hits lowest level in seven years (April 2009)
The National Retail Foundation (NRF) and HIS Global Insight reported that the number of containers dropped below the 1 million container mark for the first time in half a decade,
According to Mr. Jonathan Gold, NRF Vice president for Supply Chain and Customs Policy, US ports are still going to see double-digit declines compared with last year, but the size of the gap is starting to narrow.
The first half of 2009 is estimated at 5.9 million TEU, down 21% from the first half of 2008.
Keeping in line with retail sales growth from February to March, the United States Department of Commerce and the National Retail Federation recently reported retail sales were up again from March to April.
March retail sales, which include non-general merchandise like automobiles, gasoline, and restaurants, at $366.4 billion were up 0.4 percent from March, which was up 1.6 percent from February, and were up 8.8 year-over-year, according to the Department of Commerce. And total retail sales were up 9.6 percent year-over-year.
The NRF reported that April retail sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) increased 0.5 percent seasonally adjusted over March and 4.6 percent unadjusted year-over-year.
• China may become top importer of DDGs from US (May 2010)
China′s insatiable demand for protein helped make the country the No. 2 export destination of U.S. distillers′ grains in the first months of 2010 and it could overtake Mexico as the top export destination by the end of the year.
China will likely continue buying U.S. distillers′ dried grains with solubles (DDGs) and corn after a poor harvest helped to push up prices.
• China overtook Germany to become the world′s largest exporter (Jan 2010)
China′s exports fell by around 17% in 2009 as a whole, but other countries′ slumped by even more. As a result China overtook Germany to become the largest exporter in the world and its share of world exports jumped to almost 10%, up from 3% in 1999.• ISM index indicates economic recovery (Jan 2010)
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM)′s non-manufacturing index slipped back into the red in November, but the overall economic picture still points to an upward trend, according to the institute.
Anthony Nieves, chair of the ISM′s Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said the non-manufacturing index, or NMI, which the institute uses to measure the non-manufacturing sector, fell 1.9 points to 48.7 percent. Technically, any number below 50 is classified as "contraction," while a number above 50 represents growth.
• Railroad shipping volume down in Oct (November 2009)
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported that total volume for the week ending October 24 was down 14.8 percent compared to the corresponding week last year and 17.3 percent from the same week in 2007.
Through the first 42 weeks of 2009, the AAR said that U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,207,180 carloads, an 18 percent annual decline and an 18.3 percent decline from 2007. Trailers or containers-at 7,969,780-were down 16.4 percent from 2008 and 18.3 percent from 2007. And total volume of an estimated 1.2 trillion ton-miles was down 17.1 percent from 2008 and 15 percent from 2007. • $20.9 Million to Improve Hazardous Materials Planning and Training (October 2009)
The U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that it is awarding $20.9 million to states, territories and Native American tribes to improve the nation′s response to transportation incidents involving hazardous materials. The grants will help train first responders to react to incidents involving hazardous materials and to meet the safety challenges posed by new chemicals and alternative energy products such as ethanol. • Japan-US agreed mutual AEO program (Sep 2009)
Japan Customs and Tariff Bureau in Ministry of Finance and U.S. Customs and Border Protection signed the mutual recognition agreement in AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) program.
The trade operators who have solid security standards and compliance structure are granted AEO status. With the mutual recognition agreement in US and Japan, such AEO will be treated as superior traders and benefit simpler and speedier customs procedures, contributing to the safer and smoother trade between US and Japan.
For Japan, this AEO mutual recognition is second agreement next to New Zealand. For U.S., this is 4th agreement, next to New Zealand, Canada, and Jordan. And it is the 5th, worldwide.
• Mexico posts May trade surplus despite export plunge (July 2009)
Mexico posted a surprise trade surplus in May as exports declined at a slower rate despite a flu outbreak. The country posted a $680 million trade surplus during the month, with exports sliding 33% from a year earlier, Mexico′s statistics agency said. Things are looking a little better, said Luis Chaires, who runs the company′s operations in Mexico and Latin America. An outbreak of a flu virus paralyzed parts of the Mexican economy in May, including several auto plants, but Mexican factory sentiment has generally improved in recent months, with readings pointing to smaller falls in future output. At the same time, many analysts don′t expect the economy will grow in annual terms until late this year at the earliest. • The current trends of the East Coast ports in Canada (May 2009)
While the current economic recession is still raging throughout the world, Canada is striving to implement some revival measures for their Atlantic trade. The port of Halifax, for example, has added the worlds third largest container lines for the lane connecting North America with the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Australasia. In addition, the port has been developing business with Asian container lines via the Suez Canal. The new service will offer competitive transit times for the Asian exports. This year, the Halifax Port Authority has earmarked about C$12.5 million for investments in cargo-related projects. The Halifax Port has decline in the volume of container cargo last year, but certain sectors, B/B, Ro/Ro, and Cruise, has yielded favorable results. • Retail import volume hits lowest level in seven years (April 2009)
The National Retail Foundation (NRF) and HIS Global Insight reported that the number of containers dropped below the 1 million container mark for the first time in half a decade,
According to Mr. Jonathan Gold, NRF Vice president for Supply Chain and Customs Policy, US ports are still going to see double-digit declines compared with last year, but the size of the gap is starting to narrow.
The first half of 2009 is estimated at 5.9 million TEU, down 21% from the first half of 2008.