Contained excitement in shipping biz

NEWARK, N.J. — Walmart imported 5.3 percent fewer containers in 2009 than the year before.

Costco Wholesale reduced its container imports by 15 percent.

That’s a lot of unsold big-screen TVs.

As if you needed repeat evidence that consumer confidence was off in ’09. Way off.

However, according to the Newark, N.J.-based Journal of Commerce, trade recovery for this year, is real, but it’s measured, and the great recession of 2008/2009 has taught importers and distributors lessons that will inform their logistics plans as they wrestle with the economic recovery.

This week, the Journal of Commerce publishes its annual list of the top 100 importers and exporters with an analysis of how the rankings reflect the recovering economy.

For more than 180 years (count ’em!) the JOC has reported on North American trade trends.
For more, check out www.joc.com.

Meantime, Canadian overseas shippers are wrestling with the same rate demons that haunt truckers; as even those huge ocean-going carriers are competing with bottom feeders and rate cutters.

For a look at the local news and analysis, check out our sister site, www.logistics-mag.com.