Imports

U.S. stock futures were slightly higher on Wednesday after advancing for two consecutive days. Futures of major benchmark indices rose slightly in premarket. On Wednesday morning, a tariff increase signed by Donald Trump on Tuesday evening took effect, raising duties on steel and aluminum imports...

The Port of Los Angeles, one of the largest import gateways in the U.S., has issued a warning that the recent reduction in tariffs on Chinese goods may not be enough to reverse the declining cargo volume. What Happened: Cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles have been on a downward trend. To...

President Donald Trump deflects blame for the U.S. economy's 0.3% contraction in the first quarter onto his predecessor, despite clear evidence indicating otherwise. What Happened: On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social, blaming former President Joe Biden for the country’s Gross Domestic...

Japan’s decision to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant has sent shockwaves through the global seafood market. While the International Atomic Energy Agency vouches for safety, the move has elicited varied reactions. Of particular concern is China’s...

The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled China overstepped its trade agreements by imposing tariffs on $2.4 billion of U.S. goods. On Wednesday, a trio of WTO specialists concurred with the U.S., stating China’s tariffs breached the organization’s “most favored nation”...

According to Armstrong Economics, in 2012 Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Gazprom to begin construction on the natural gas pipeline dubbed, “Power of Siberia” that would connect Siberia to Shanghai, China. The “Power of Siberia” has been in construction for eight...

The National Retail Federation is calling for the start of peak season to kick off with a bang. The group sees imports to the nation's largest retail container ports increasing 12.6% year-over-year in August to 2.37 million twenty-foot equivalent units, ahead of the recent monthly record...

The good news for U.S. importers: Demand for consumer goods continues to boom. The bad news: Shipments from Asia face massive delays and even when cargo finally arrives, it costs so much to transport that profit margins are slashed. The worse news: The shift in the balance of power from shippers to...

The price index for U.S. imports as well as exports rose 1.4% during June, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics said Tuesday. This marks two consecutive months of price index increases. What Happened: Export price increases can be heavily attributed to higher fuel prices. When June CPI...

Some members of the border trade community said the new 90-day duty deferral option will provide some relief for importers and brokers during the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump announced the deferral on April 18. It allows for the delayed deposit of customs duties that were due March...

Container lines provide a window into the future of U.S. landside cargo flows, not in the sense of reading tea leaves or palms, but in the sense of inevitability, like death and taxes. Container-line schedules foretell that U.S. seaborne imports will fall sharply. That, in turn, will translate...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established a minimum content threshold for when importers of regulated plant-based products are excluded from filing a Lacey Act import declaration. The Lacey Act, which combats trafficking in illegally harvested wildlife, fish and plants, requires U....

Director of Freight Market Intelligence Zach Strickland breaks down the Freightos Baltic Exchange index before diving into the Los Angeles, CA and Nashville, TN markets in the Carrier Update presented by PowerFleet, Market Expert Donny Gilbert identifies long haul opportunities in the Broker Update...

The coronavirus rampage continues in China, with reports of the total infected topping over 75,000 with 2,236 deaths. The nation also adjusted the number of cases for the third time this month. Hubei’s health commission revised new cases to 631 from 411, saying the reason behind the revision...

Editor's note: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and not of FreightWaves or its affiliates. Container imports into the 10 largest U.S. ports dropped 4.1% in January, a reprieve from December's 12.5% decline and November's 6.5% decline. These recent downturns are driven by...