West Coast ports captured five of the top ten positions on a recent ranking of top US import ports by trade intelligence firm Zepol that examined government trade data for the January to July period.
The Port of Los Angeles topped the list, with the neighboring Long Beach port filling the second slot. Los Angeles handled a total of 2.3 million import TEUs in the seven-month period, a 2 percent increase over the same period last year. Adjacent Long Beach handled a total of 1.8 million import TEUs, up 6.3 percent over the January to July period in 2010.
West Coast ports rounding out the top ten included: the Port of Seattle in fifth place with just over 472,000 inbound TEUs despite a 14.1 percent decline over 2010; the Port of Oakland in sixth place with just over 443,000 inbound TEUs, up 2.1 percent over last year; and in tenth place, the Port of Tacoma with just under 268,000 inbound TEUs handled, a 0.7 drop from last year.
The Minnesota-based Zepol's report is based on data collected by US Customs and the US Census Bureau from the Automated Manifest System and excludes Freight Remaining on Board as well as empty containers. Zepol points out that due to US Customs rules on import disclosure, not all major importers and suppliers could be identified.
In addition to the top import ports, the report found that Maersk remained the top import carrier through July, a position the carrier held during the same period last year. Rounding out the top ten import carriers, in descending order, were MSC, APL, Evergreen, Hanjin, Hapag Lloyd, CMA CGM, Hyundai, OOCL and COSCO.
The largest carrier gains were experienced by MSC, with a 17.4 percent increase over the same period in 2010. The biggest slide during the January to July period was carrier China Shipping, which while dropping 25 percent over the year-ago period, still managed to hang on to the number 15 slot on the list.
The report also found that the top consignees for US imports during the January to July period were LG Electronics, Dole, Samsung Electronics, Michelin, and Rooms To Go. LG Electronics grew a marginal 0.4 percent compared to the same period last year, when it also held the top consignee slot. Samsung Electronics, while still holding the number three slot, was the big loser, sliding 20 percent compared to the same period in 2010. Three of the top 16 import consignees gained more than 40 percent over the 20010 period, including Michelin, Arauco Wood, and Falken Tire.
China remained the top trading country for US imports, with Japan, Germany, Mexico and Venezuela rounding out the top five. US imports originating in China grew 12 percent compared to the first seven months of 2010, and number two Japan – despite the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this year, managed to post a 4.7 percent gain over the first seven-month period last year.
The top US imports through July were petroleum products, machinery, automobiles and trucks, electronic goods, and clothing/apparel.
The full 12-page report is available for free at www.zepol.com.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
