Trade data shows who really delivered toys to US kids
Forget the North Pole. Most toys under the Christmas tree – or bestowed on US children any time of year for whatever reason – are made in China and delivered by container ships.
Based on the volumes from Datamyne’s bill of lading data on US imports, CMA-CGM was the top carrier of US toy imports in 2011 through December 25, delivering some 88,087 metric tons of plush characters, plastic playthings, games, puzzles, and other toys. APL Co PTE Ltd-NOL Group was close behind with cargos totaling 81,790 MTons.
Alas, the overall size of the toy haul continues to shrink as Datamyne’s trade data (again from the bill of lading database and, again, through December 25, 2011) shows:
It will be a few weeks before 2011 holiday retail sales figures are available. The forecast from the NPD Group, a market research firm that works with the Toy Industry Association to track sector performance, was for sales on a par with the 2010 season, when a late surge in buying helped lift sales for the year. You can see annual US domestic toy sales data here.
To find out what else our data reveals about trade in toys – including who’s shipping and who’s importing toys to the US – contact us.