Zepol Corporation, the leading trade intelligence company, reports that U.S. import shipment volume for December, measured in TEUs, decreased 8.2% from November, but increased 1.5% from December of 2010. The total number of inbound shipments decreased 6.5% from November and increased 2.3% from December of last year. For the year of 2011, total TEUs are up 0.98% from 2010.

    Key Statistics from this Month's Update:

    •TEU imports from China decreased this year by 0.75% from 2010, while imports from South Korea rose by 5.3%. Total 2011 imports from Asia did not have a significant change, but dropped a slight 0.5%. Imports from Europe went up in 2011 by 8.5%, partly due to a 12.2% increase seen from Germany and a 19.3% rise from Belgium. South American imports also grew in 2011 by 3.6%, with moderate rises from Chile and Ecuador.

    •The top port for 2011, Los Angeles, exhibited a 1.8% increase in inbound TEUs while the Port of Seattle posted a 14% drop from the previous year. Nearly 16% of 2011 imports entered through the Ports of Newark and New York, which also saw a 2.6% increase from the previous year.

     •For master carriers, the rise in inbound TEU imports was seen by the Mediterranean Shipping Company with an 11% increase and was the second largest carrier this year. At the top of the carriers list was Maersk Line, which slightly decreased from last year by .07%. APL also dropped 7% and was ranked third for the year of 2011.

?source:http://www.ajot.com/?