Zepol Corporation, the leading trade intelligence company, reports that import shipment volume for March, measured in TEUs, increased 1.55% from February and 0.33% from March of 2010. The total number of shipments also increased 2.32% from February and 1% from March of 2010. Year to date, total TEUs are up 8.58% this year over last year.

Key Statistics from this Month’s Update:

  • Shipments departing from ports in Asia posted large decreases in March, with shipments from China and Hong Kong down 13% and 15% respectively from February. Among other factors, the rise in oil prices has contributed to this slowdown.
  • The Port of Houston, Texas saw a large upswing in shipments for March, posting a 29% increase from February. The port has not seen this level of imports since August of 2010. The boost in imports can be attributed to increased shipments from Europe, specifically Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.
  • Maersk Line, ranked number one in carriers, saw a significant increase in shipments, up 11% over February, while Evergreen Line experienced a 9% decrease in TEUs shipped, with one of the main causes being a reduction in shipments from the port of Shanghai.

Methodology: Zepol’s data is derived from Bills of Lading entered into the Automated Manifest System. This information represents the number of House manifests entered by importers of waterborne containerized goods. This is the earliest indicator for trade data available for the previous month’s import activity. The data excludes shipments from empty containers, excludes shipments labeled as freight remaining on board, and may contain other data anomalies.