Container shipping spot rates in the trans-Pacific trade started to rise in late June and remain near their highs for 2023. The question is: How much of this rate gain is driven by peak season demand, and how much by shipping lines intentionally constraining capacity?...
Global Trade Data: Reshoring Semiconductor Supply Chains Easier Said Than Done
Top importing and exporting countries in the semiconductor supply chain network are rolling out incentives to make more chips at home, while tightening controls on sharing chip technologies abroad. Descartes Datamyne trade data helps clarify what’s at stake and who...
Global Shipping Data: U.S.-Mexico Trade Spike as China Imports Surge to the Latin American nation
Mexico has been a major trading partner with the United States for decades, however, in recent years, that trade has risen sharply, with China contributing significantly to the increase, according to Descartes Datamyne U.S.-Mexico trade data. The trend serves to...
The Greening of Ammonia: The U.S. Plan to Decarbonize Chemical Supply Chains (and a Whole Lot More)
Wave upon wave of supply chain disruption has delivered the hard lesson that diversified lines of supply are essential to keep production and commerce moving. Now comes what may be the biggest disruptor yet: The deployment of clean hydrogen to industry, agriculture...
US West Coast ports regain lost volume as competitive pressure mounts
CHICAGO, May 18 (Reuters) - Some U.S. importers who shifted cargo away from West Coast ports to rival gateways over fears that labor contract talks could disrupt shipments have begun bringing some of that volume back, even as those negotiations stretch into their 13th...
West Coast ports lost market share. Will they get it back?
The paths so many goods travel as they cross the globe have changed, as have the ports where they arrive in this country. Remember when there was a line, like, 100 ships long to get into the Port of Los Angeles? Well, there is no backup now. Container volumes at West...
Global Shipping Data: Top 30 U.S. Port Report Shows Supply Chain Disruption Risks Remain High in Post-Pandemic Era Despite Volume Decline
At the height of COVID-19, soaring consumer purchases in the United States congested supply chains and threatened to overwhelm U.S. maritime ports. But last September, container trade volumes suddenly went into a decline from their record highs, according to global...
Expert Advice: 3 Ways Descartes’ Global Shipping Report Helps Companies Make Better Logistics Decisions
Chris Jones, EVP of Industry and Services for Descartes, explains the value of looking beyond one’s supply chain to better understand how commodities and freight flow. View the PDF
Global Shipping Update: Modicum of Relief as Import Volumes Fall in Line with 2019 Levels
With the second quarter of 2023 on the horizon, importers and logistics service providers (LSPs) are wondering what lies ahead. The economic landscape is anything but predictable and there are conflicting opinions on what direction the economy will take. As for...
Global Trade Data: Tracing the Supply Chains that Deliver a Cold Beer on St. Patrick’s Day
Erin go bragh! You may well plan to hoist a glass of beer in honor of St. Patrick’s Day March 17. Whether your choice is lager, ale, stout, or porter, you will likely be in luck if you ask for a brew from the Auld Sod itself. The U.S. imported 134,106,004 liters of...



