Supply Chain Research

U.S. seaborne imports jumped 6% in October vs. September, or 7% growth on a year earlier. This was the fastest since February, and the fourth straight increase. Imports of furnishings performed best, jumped 10%, while autos climbed 5%. Among non-durables apparel fell 0.4%, while toys managed a meager 0.5% growth ahead of the holidays. Imports from the EU accelerated to a 14% growth rate on a rolling-quarter basis, likely due to the strong dollar, while China’s exports via sea also increased. The data so far implies growth of 1.9% is possible for U.S. seaborne import shipments for the ful...