MisterTrade

Smooth sailing for Christmas?0

Here’s the first paragraph from a story in eCargonewsAsia:

Shipper apprehension over possible congestion at major U.S. seaports has been assuaged by a recent trade report. “The system is handling volumes that have never been seen before, thanks mainly to continued growth in the demand for Asian imports,” Global Insight economist Paul Bingham said.

Check out the article at: http://www.cargonewsasia.com/ecna/preview.aspx?article=3109
 

Posted: International trade, Import Export Statistics, China, Los Angeles, Savannah, Japan, Manufacturing, Maritime

Fighting’s tough but Afghan trade is way up0

We just filed this story on our web site:

As U.S. troops continue fighting in Afghanistan in an attempt to beat back a resurgent Taliban and track down Osama bin Laden, the Central Asian nation’s appetite for U.S. exports is nevertheless at an all-time high.

More

Posted: International trade, Import Export Statistics, Trade Deficit, Miami, New York, Manufacturing

Good for global trade perhaps but …0

According to a story in the Washington Post, more than 1,100 laptop computers have vanished from the Department of Commerce since 2001, including nearly 250 from the Census Bureau containing such personal information as names, incomes and Social Security numbers. Check it out.

Most of the laptop computers in this country come from Malaysia, China, Taiwan and elsewhere, as you can see in WorldCity reporting of trade statistics.

Posted: International trade, Import Export Statistics, China, Manufacturing, Computers, Technology

U.S. Chamber weighs in on trade benefits0

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has produced an interesting report about the benefits of international trade to the U.S. business and consumer — everything from price reductions on goods we buy to job creation from increased imports.

“The facts will show,” the chamber’s president and CEO Thomas Donohue writes in an introduction, ”that while some are hurt and should be helped, the overwhelming majority of Americans derive great benefits from global engagement.”

You can take a look at it or download it by clicking here.

Posted: International trade, Import Export Statistics, Trade Deficit, China, Mexico, Manufacturing, Maritime

Panama Canal: To widen or not to widen0

If you’re interested in the Panama Cancel, there’s a story worth reading in the New York Times this morning on the proposed widening of the canal, which goes before a referendum next month.

If that referendum fails to pass, the implications are signficant for the global economy. The problem, of course, is that the newer ships — so called post-Panamax — can’t make it through. And bigger ships are on the way.

The Suez Canal is a widely used option for east-west trade but why I am slightly less than comfortable relying on a canal in the Middle East?

Posted: International trade, China, Miami, Manufacturing, Maritime

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas …0

Traffic is up at nation’s seaports for a host of reasons but one, apparently, is because the Christmas holiday season is starting a couple of months earlier, at least for the Asian manufacturers, shipping lines and U.S. seaports.

That’s one of a number of responses to avoid strains on the system like those that surfaced during the 2004 holiday season, according to an article in dcvelocity. Others include longer hours, shifting to other seaports and improving turnaround times.

One way shippers have dealt with the threat of congestion is to begin bringing their imports into the country earlier in the season,” the publicaiton reported, based on comments from Paul Bingham, a principal at consulting firm Global Insight who specializes in global trade. That trend was reflected in the most recent Port Tracker report, which predicted that August volumes would match a typical October, normally the peak shipping month of the year.  

Posted: International trade, China, Los Angeles, Manufacturing

Zippo complains of Chinese knockoffs…0

Everyone knows the distintive shape of the Zippo lighter. In fact, four years ago, Zippo went so far as to trademark its design. Now it wants the International Trade Commission to help it fight knockoffs, which the company says “consume” 30 percent of its market. In its filing with the ITC, it points the finger at Chinese companies and U.S. distributors. Zippo, which was founded in 1932, in the early years of the U.S. Depression, sells more than 12 million lighters a year, and even claims a fan base that makes collectibles of them.