Panjiva

Total April U.S.-bound import shipments—at 1,188,688—headed up 5.3% annually and are up 25.3% on a year-to-date basis. And containerized freight imports—at 2,819,591 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) were up 25.5% annually and 27.6% year-to-date, following March’s 3,017,140 TEU, which marked the first time freight imports topped the 3 million TEU mark in a single month.

Total February U.S.-bound import shipments—at 1,099,310—were up 29.3% annually, while also outpacing February 2019 by 20.1% and are up 25.9% year-to-date, at 2,338,297. Meanwhile, containerized freight imports—at 2,464,007 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) saw a 20% annual increase, for the month, with a 17.8% annual gain, to 5,270,966 TEU. The firm said that cumulative January and February shipments helped to “scrub the effect” of the timing of Lunar New Year imports from Asia and were up 17.9% compared to the same period in 2020.

Total January Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU)—at 2,797,599—were up 15.7% annually, which was off compared to December’s 21.0% annual gain while still up by double-digits for the fifth consecutive month.

Total December Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU)—at 2.76 million TEU—headed up 20.4% annually, which Panjiva said marked the fastest rate of expansion going back to August 2010. And, for all of 2020, total import volume hit 29.25 million TEU, representing a 1.7% annual gain and also setting a new record.

The firm reported that total November shipments—at 1,16,7943—rose 20.7% annually, topping November’s 16.8% annual increase, with imports of containerized freight shipments—at 2,668,416 TEU—seeing a 17% annual gain.

Coming in at 2,711,435 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), September was up 11.1% annually. But on a year-to-date basis, through September 30, shipments are down 3.9% annually, to 20,874,996 TEU. This marked the second time ever a monthly tally topped 2.70 million TEU.

Import rebound indicated, with containerized freight handling up 5.9%, to top 2.70 million "TEUs" or twenty-foot equivalent units, for the first time ever, eclipsing previous high set in October 2018.

May shipments—at 1,002,314—dropped 7.4% on an annual basis. And on a year-to-date basis, shipments through the first five months of 2020—at 4,840,335—were off 2.9% compared to the same period a year ago. Containerized shipments in May—at 2,043,403—were off 19.7% annually, and on a year-to-date basis, they were off 8.3% annually, to 10,762,310.

April shipments—at 1,126,970—saw a 13% annual increase, well ahead of March’s -10% reading, and on a year-to-date basis through March, U.S.-bound shipments—at 3,836,078—were off 1.6% compared to the same period a year ago, an improvement over the -6.8% year-to-date drop through March. Even though there was clear improvement in April shipments, Panjiva reported containerized shipments lagged, down 5.1% annually in April to 2,243,208 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) and down 5.2% year-to-date through April, to 8,715,993.

March shipments—at 829,501—were off 10.1% annually, falling for the seventh consecutive month. And on a year-to-date basis through March, U.S.-bound waterborne shipments—at 2,706,690—are down 6.8% annually.

February shipments—at 846,054—decreased 7.5% compared to February 2019, and containerized freight shipments, for the month, were down 4.5%. On a year-to-date basis through February, U.S.-bound waterborne shipments—at 1,874,305—are down 5.4% compared to the same period a year ago.

January shipments—at 1,026,714—fell 3.6% annually. And containerized freight shipments were off 2.8% annually, with Panjiva noting that it was notable there was a decline even with the earlier timing of the 2019 Lunar New Year. Looking back, for calendar year 2019, total shipments—at 12,243,739—slipped 1.0% compared to 2018, marking its worst annual output going back to 2009.

Coming off of October, which marked the worst performing month for United States-bound waterborne shipments since March 2016, or three and a half years, in absolute terms, when there was a 19.4% decline, imports fell again in November but at a reduced rate, according to data issued this week by global trade intelligence firm Panjiva.

October shipments, at 1,047,257, were off 8.9% annually on a preliminary basis, which was far steeper than September’s 1.6% annual decline and the third quarter’s 0.2% gain. Containerized freight shipments in October rose 7.5 On a year-to-date basis through October, shipments are up 0.05%, at 10,301,352.

September shipments, at 1,037,316, were off 1.7% annually, and on a year-to-date basis, shipments through September, at 9,252,633, are up 1.2% compared to the first nine months of 2018.