The ongoing elevated state of United States-bound imports remained firmly intact in April, according to data issued this week by global trade intelligence firm Panjiva.
Total April U.S.-bound import shipments—at 1,188,688—headed up 5.3% annually and are up 25.3% on a year-to-date basis. And containerized freight imports—at 2,819,591 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) were up 25.5% annually and 27.6% year-to-date, following March’s 3,017,140 TEU, which marked the first time freight imports topped the 3 million TEU mark in a single month. Panjiva observed that the difference in April shipment and TEU growth was attributed to a surge of LCL shipments a year ago as PPE shipments got underway.
