Descartes

From March to April, the report found that U.S.-bound container import volumes were up 3.0% compared to March and were up 9.3% annually, coming in at 2,208,849 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). Descartes explained that the 3.0% gain was downwardly impacted by the effects of the Chinese Lunar Year, adding that when compared to pre-pandemic April 2019, volumes increased 15.1%.

A new study issued today by Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings, showed some disparities in the intersection of online buying and home delivery processes. The study, entitled “Online Buying Grows But Too Many Customers Still Experiencing Delivery Woes,” was based on feedback from 8,000 consumers surveyed by Descartes and SAPIO Research, across Europe and North America over the first quarter. This is the third annual edition of Descartes’ e-commerce home delivery report.

Earlier this week, Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings, continued to flex its M&A muscle, acquiring Dublin, Ireland-based Aerospace Software Developments, a provider of customs and regulatory compliance service.

From February to March, the report observed that U.S.-bound container import volumes eked out a 0.4% increase, to 2,145,341 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), while posting a 15.7% annual gain, ahead of pre-pandemic 2019 by 20.6%. Descartes explained that the timing of the week-long Lunar New Year in Asia, which commenced on February 11 may have held import growth back, as the subsequent impact on U.S. import numbers was not realized until the last two weeks of March.

The acquisition train keeps rolling on for Waterloo, Ontario-based Descartes, a provider of logistics based on-demand, software-as-a-service offerings. The company recently announced it has acquired Rockville, Md.-based OCR Services Inc, a provider of global trade compliance solutions and content, for roughly $90 million. This represents the 30th acquisition Descartes has made going back to 2015.

From January to February, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes fell 6%, to 2,137,724 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), compared to January and were up 23.3%

From December to January, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes rose 7.9%, to 2,273,125 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units). And on an annual basis, it found that January volumes were up 9.9%, while posting a 9.6% increase compared to pre-pandemic 2019’s 2,036,393 TEU tally. What’s more, the report noted that the 7.9% sequential increase, from December to January, marked its biggest gain for that period over the last seven years.

From November to December, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes eked out 0.4% increase, to 2,107,012 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), topping December 2022’s 1,929,032 TEU tally by 9.2% and was up 10.6% compared to pre-pandemic December 2019’s 1,904,828 TEU.

From October to November, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes fell 9%, to 2,099,408 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which the company observed is consistent with late-in-the-year declines seen in recent years. For the same period, from 2019 through 2022, volumes were down 8.2%, 8.3%, 5.0%, and 12.0%, respectively.

From September to October, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes increased 4.7%, coming in at 2,307,918 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), which it said was inconsistent with the Peak Season decline that traditionally starts in the August timeframe, while rising 3.9% annually.

From August to September, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes saw a 0.3% increase, coming in at 2,203,452 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which the report observed differs from the decline that typically occurs over the last third of the calendar year.

From July to August, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes eked out a 0.4% annual increase, coming in at 2,196,268 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), while posting a 13.2% annual decline and up 2.5% compared to pre-pandemic August 2019. And on a year-to-date basis through August, imports are down 2.1% compared to the same period in 2019.

From June to July, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes saw a 5.1% increase, to 2,187,810 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), which it said is consistent with import gains seen in non-pandemic years, for Peak Season.

From May to June, Descartes reported that U.S.-bound container import volumes were off 0.7%. coming in at 2,081,793 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), while falling 16.1% compared to June 2022 and rising 6.0% compared to June 2019, prior to the onset of the pandemic. What’s more, the 0.7% May to June decrease represents the lowest decrease for that period going back to 2017.

On an annual basis, May U.S. container import volumes saw a 3.8% increase, from April to May, coming in at 2,097,813 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) and were down 20.0% annually while seeing a 0.5% annual increase when compared to pre-pandemic May 2019. What’s more, Descartes observed that through the first five months of 2023, with a 1.3% difference for the same period in each year.