U.S. Imports Remained Stagnant for First Half of 2013 and Declined From May to June, Zepol Data Says
U.S. imports declined almost 3 percent from May to June, according to data from Zepol. These low numbers have changed the steady 1 percent increase in the volume of U.S. ocean imports since 2012, the report said on July 11. Zepol data also said that imports are 1.6 percent below twenty-foot containers (TEUs) seen in June 2012. The Zepol report finds that import volume for the first half of 2013 remains stagnant in comparison to the first half of 2012, and has actually decreased by 0.3 percent. However, Zepol’s CEO Paul Rasmussen said that 2013 still has potential to “rise above” in July and August, the “busiest months” for U.S. imports.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
Statistics indicate that U.S. imports from Asia are down 1.5 percent from May and another 1.2 percent for the first half of 2013. Compared to the first half of 2012, major U.S. ports like the Port of Los Angeles and the Ports of Newark and New York are down in TEU volume, Zepol said. Maersk Line, the top U.S. carrier, also decreased in TEUs by 8.4 percent from last year.