News
Container exports from 10 leading countries and regions in Asia to the U.S. amounted to 1.51 million TEUs in December 2023 (based on volumes at ports of origin), which increased 1.5% from the previous month and a more notable 15.3% from the same month of 2022, according to Descartes Datamyne, which refers to Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and bill-of-lading (B/L) data provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Exports grew from almost all of the 10 economies, with those from China surging 15% to 847,158 TEUs, which held the largest share of the pie. They were followed by containers from South Korea, which jumped 23.8% to 187,991 TEUs. Finishing in third place, those from Vietnam were as robust, soaring 23.3% to 152,557 TEUs. Ranked fourth were exports from Singapore, which ballooned 26.6% to 74,541 TEUs. However, exports from Taiwan plunged 12.7% to 67,412 TEUs, which finished in fifth. Those from Japan came in eighth place, improving a minute 0.1% to 33,565 TEUs.
In 2023, the U.S. imported a total of 17.51 million TEUs from Asia, which plummeted 10.8% from the previous year. They accounted for some 70% of the 24.93 million TEUs of containers that the nation imported from around the world last year.
By origin, imports from China fell 13% to 10.08 million TEUs but managed to hold the leading share. Coming in second place, those from South Korea waned 4% to 1.97 million TEUs; in third, those from Vietnam declined 7.9% to 1.63 million TEUs; and in fourth, those from Taiwan shrank 16.4% to 853,995 TEUs. Containers from Japan increased 2.7% to 394,698 TEUs, finishing in eighth place.
Meanwhile, container imports from the U.S. to the 10 major Asian economies totaled 456,963 TEUs in November (based on volumes at ports of destination), which sank 2% from a year earlier. Those to China went down 8% to 133,481 TEUs; to Taiwan, up 9.2% to 47,784 TEUs; to Japan, down 20% to 43,753 TEUs; to Malaysia, up 9.2% to 43,568 TEUs; and to Indian, down 16.7% to 41,812 TEUs.
In January-November, the 10 countries imported 4.97 million TEUs from the U.S., which sagged a slight 0.4% year on year.
