Toys “R” Us, Target, and other big name stores have recently posted their picks for the hottest toys this holiday season. In honor of this hyped-up ‘toyathon,’ Zepol searched some of these must-haves in our U.S. import database and found which toys actually have the highest import shipments.

At the top of our list, with 219 shipments so far this year, is the Doc McStuffins “Time for Your Check-up” doll… clearly every girl's dream toy? At a close second, is the infamous and somewhat creepy, Furby which has 196 shipments so far this year; apparently making a comeback from its 1998 debut. The third and fourth place toys are anything from the LEGO Ninjago collection and the Lalaloopsy Silly Hair Star Doll.

A fun fact about these toys is that almost all of them are imported from the regions Shenzhen and Yantian, in China.

From Eagle Talons, to Hail-Fire, the names of these toys seem out-there and literally silly, but at the end of the day, kids are still just playing with 'old-fashioned' LEGOs and Dolls.

According to Zepol's online database of U.S. ocean imports, TradeIQ™, the number of TEUs imported in October was down 6.8% from September. Compared to October of 2011, imports were also down another 4.8%. It's fairly unique to see imports drop from the previous year. The only other months that has happened in 2012 were February and August. February's decrease makes sense because last February was a leap year, meaning one more day for imports. August and October's slump from last year could represent a shift in the months importers stock up for the holidays, or a move to purchase more domestically-made products.

Methodology:
Zepol’s data is derived from Bills of Lading entered into U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). This information represents the number of House manifests entered by importers of waterborne vessel goods. This is the earliest indicator for trade data available for the previous month’s import activity. The data excludes shipments from empty containers, excludes shipments labeled as Freight Remaining on Board (FROB), and may contain other data anomalies.       

Guaran, guar gum, guar seeds, however you choose to say it, has become a hot-ticket import in the United States in 2012. With near eight-times the thickening power of corn starch, guar gum is a powder that's both useful and economic. It prevents oil particles from coalescing (or joining together), and stabilizes mixtures, which prevents settling. In cooking terms, it’s a little like adding flour to a roux.

So why has this import been such a big deal lately? It could potentially have to do with consumers moving away from corn starch in their foods, forcing companies to move to alternative thickening agents. But, with the vast amount being imported, there might be more to it than that.

In January-August of 2012 alone, U.S. importers have brought in over 242 million kilograms of guar gum, nearly matching the entire year of 2011 imports.

As demand for the guar seed goes up, so does the price. Back in Q1 of 2011, the average price per kilogram was $1.91. Now go ahead and shift that decimal point to the right and you’ll get close to the current price in Q3 of 2012, which was over $19.00. It’s possible that there is a limited supply in India (the main producer of the seed) for guar, which is driving up the price.

In our bill of lading database, TradeIQ™, we have noticed a large number of searches for guar gum recently. After checking out the average price increases, it’s probably current importers looking for a cheaper supplier. If you need help finding an alternative supplier, sign up for a TradeIQ™ Free Trial. If you have any insight into this new and interesting demand for guar gum, please leave a comment.

According to Zepol's online database of U.S. ocean imports, TradeIQ™, September TEUs are down 3.6% from August but up 2.6% from September of 2011. Q3 imports for 2012 are also up 3.8% from Q3 of 2011. The third quarter of the year is generally the highest for U.S. imports because businesses are stocking up for the holiday season and looking at the rise from Q3 of last year, retailers must be expecting higher sales in 2012.

Methodology:
Zepol’s data is derived from Bills of Lading entered into U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). This information represents the number of House manifests entered by importers of waterborne vessel goods. This is the earliest indicator for trade data available for the previous month’s import activity. The data excludes shipments from empty containers, excludes shipments labeled as Freight Remaining on Board (FROB), and may contain other data anomalies.