One of the unique uses of the U.S. Customs Data that Zepol's TradeIQ provides is the ability to find a specific container based on its number. Some companies will use this to track their shipments and see how the shipment information is being provided to U.S. Customs, while others will use this feature to investigate what products have been or what currently is in a container as it travels across the country.

We have heard from several of our customers that they will often note a container number that they see in a shipyard or while driving down the road, and then look up what products have been shipped in the container over the last 6 years. They can see who the companies were that received the goods and which suppliers they received shipments from. In addition, they are able to see detailed descriptions of the products that are being imported.

Some small companies will find that they used the same container as some of the biggest companies in the world or that something odd was in the container the last time it was imported. Below is an example of the last 10 shipments in Container Number: GLDU7104878, showing the date and the products were imported over the last 6 years:

May 2009: Consolidated container with Auto Parts, Fabrics, and Sporting Goods
January 2009: Boxes of Womens Knit Pants with details including the style number and fabric make up
December 2008: Promo Jackets
September 2008: Men’s Turtleneck Knit Tops
January 2008: Scrap Metal
November 2007: Feminine Hygiene Products
May 2007: Wearing Apparel with Invoice Numbers
April 2007: Famous Energy Drink
October 2006: Crackers and Cookies
September 2005: Seasonal Indoor Multi Lights

It is pretty interesting to see the variety of products that are shipped in the same container over time by some of the most noteworthy companies in the world. To see the detail of this container and all others shipped via vessel since 2003, please register for a demonstration at www.zepol.com.

Analyzing how markets work is a primary function of most marketing departments in top international companies. While consumer information is widely available from multiple sources, it is much harder to understand B2B international business environments and how companies interact with trading partners around the world. The best source for analyzing an international business environment is Trade Data.

While high level statistics, periodically released by the U.S. government, can provide some insights, the current economic situation requires both in-depth micro and macro analysis. U.S. Customs trade data allows users to fully understand the micro side, while an advanced trade data tool that utilizes U.S. Census trade data covers the macro part. So how are companies analyzing their markets with both U.S. trade data sets?

Calculating Market Shares on the Supply Side
To apply market share estimates, two numbers are needed. The first is how big the market is; U.S. Census data can be used to see the total values and weights of product categories that have been imported or exported. The second is how different players in the market are trading, which on the import side, comes from U.S. Customs data in the form of individual shipments.

Source Pricing Diagnostics
Product pricing is a key component of any market analysis and can be found by diving deep into how much product costs rise and fall over time. Below is an example of this in graphical form:


Product Market Profiles
Using trade data to create profiles of products gives executives and managers a solid understanding of both where imports and exports come from and go to, and also which ports are being used and the volumes being shipped. U.S. Census and U.S. Customs trade data also provides a comprehensive view of a market from high level statistics for the last several quarters, to the companies involved in the movement of goods.

Export Opportunity Analysis
U.S. Census trade data is the primary and only complete source of United States export trade data. Utilizing it shows users what markets are being underserved by U.S. suppliers and where there are potential areas of growth. While users cannot identify the companies exporting or receiving these products, a clearer picture of how exports are performing can be gleaned.

Transportation Trade Lane Analysis
Service providers, whose customers are importers and exporters, see trade data as a vital asset for their companies. Not only do they rely on it to understand trade lane trends, but also to discover where individual markets are growing. By analyzing their market effectively, resource planning is easier because forecasts are more accurate and bets are placed on only the best opportunities. Knowing what are the growth products, trade lanes, and selling markets of the future means beating competitors in a hypercompetitive industry.

Zepol's products allow you to do both detailed and aggregate analysis on markets, drawing connections that are far beyond the capabilities of simple data analysis. By using the advanced tools that Zepol provides, our customers are taking their trade intelligence to the next level. Read our case studies to find out how.

There are many events happening in the international trade arena in the coming months. With a wide variety of topics, covering issues from importing/exporting basics to supply chain security, it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest topics. I wanted to try to bring some of the most relevant to the attention of the trade community and have listed several calendars and sites with regularly scheduled events.

• Sourcing Innovation (http://blog.sourcinginnovation.com) – Supply chain roundtables and seminars
• AAEI (www.aaei.org) – Trade webinars, seminars, and conferences
• Foreign Trade Association of Southern California (www.ftasc.org) – Trade events in Southern California
• Midwest Global Trade Association (www.mgta.org) – Trade seminars and classes in the Twin Cities
• FITA (www.fita.org) – Trade events and shows around the country
• NEXCO (www.nexco.org) – International trade events

Zepol's CEO and President, Paul Rasmussen, will also be participating in a panel discussion on "Importer Identity Theft" on July 14th in Long Beach, CA. This event is being conducted by the Foreign Trade Association and will delve into one of the hottest topics in importing today. Not only does importer identity theft impact your bottom line, but it is becoming an important enforcement area for law enforcement agencies in the United States.

For more information about this event or questions about what it will cover, check out our events page here. We are happy to answer any questions that you have about how Zepol is helping companies proactively protect themselves from this crime. In addition, please comment on this blog to understand how Zepol is ensuring the security of U.S. Customs trade data.

The U.S. Census Bureau released their Merchandise Trade data numbers on June 10th, 2009. The Merchandise Trade deficit increased from $33.3 billion in March to $38.1 billion in April. The continuation of the economic slide will continue to worry both policy makers and businesses, but it is worth noting that the decrease in exports and imports has softened over the last several months.

Below is an in-depth breakdown of the U.S. Census Merchandise Trade data released today. This month we have highlighted 5 interesting items that we found while looking at April's data, here are the hightlights:

1. Decrease in Imports was driven by Air and Other transportation types
2. Exports to Iran grew over 500% in the last year
3. Top container ports are suffering
4. Oil Imports are down over 53% from last April
5. Corn Exports are stable by weight, but value has decreased from 2008

Click here for Zepol’s U.S. Census Merchandise Trade Data Update for April 2009