The word from the Panjiva research team: we saw an increase in global trade activity in January.  Specifically, the number of waterborne shipments coming into the U.S. experienced a 17% month-over-month increase from December to January, erasing last month’s precipitous decline.

Similarly, the number of global manufacturers shipping to the U.S. increased 6% versus last month.  This is the first December-to-January increase we’ve seen since we began collecting data three years ago.

Additional notes:

• The percentage of significant manufacturers on the Panjiva Watch List held steady at 18%.
• The percentage of significant buyers having done business with a Panjiva Watch List supplier in the preceding three months declined slightly, from 26% to 25%.

Methodological notes:

• Manufacturers that have suffered a 50% or greater decline in volume shipped to American customers in the most recent three month period, versus the same period a year ago, are on the Panjiva Watch List.
• “Significant manufacturers” are companies that have sent 10 or more shipments to American customers within the last year. As of the end of January, there were 94,866 significant manufacturers.
• “Significant buyers” are U.S. companies that have received 10 or more shipments from overseas manufacturers within the last year. As of the end of January, there were 81,508 significant buyers.

We are very happy to report that we are once again working with Sourcing at MAGIC, North America’s largest sourcing event, to make it easier for buyers and suppliers to find each other.

• Panjiva users can search specifically for Sourcing at MAGIC exhibitors.
• On the Panjiva platform, you’ll find supplemental information about the exhibitors provided by the exhibitors themselves.
• MAGIC attendees are eligible for free access to Panjiva between now and the end of next week’s show.
• Panjivans will be on-site at Sourcing at MAGIC to help attendees and exhibitors find each other.

Attending Sourcing at MAGIC?  Want free access to Panjiva — or want to schedule an appointment with a Panjivan?  Email magic@panjiva.com.

Are you an aspiring developer or designer?  Hit up this weekend’s Developers & Designers event.  Panjiva’s co-founder and CTO, Jim Psota, will be there to discuss PostgreSQL and probably Panjiva too.

Over 300 of tomorrow’s greatest designers and developers — that means today’s high school and college students — will be at the event to learn more about making web and mobile applications from those who have successfully done it. In addition to Jim, there will be other inspiring tech entrepreneurs speaking, including Dharmesh Shah from Hubspot and John Resig from Mozilla.

The event, taking place this Saturday, Feb. 5 at Microsoft’s NERD Center in Cambridge, Mass., is free for students. To learn more or register, visit http://developersdevelopersdevelopersdevelopers.org/. If you’re attending and have specific areas for Jim to address, or would like to talk to him more about Panjiva, he’d love to hear from you, so email jim@panjiva.com.