Shipments

United States-bound waterborne shipments saw some growth in April, albeit not at the same levels it hit in previous months, according to data issued this week by global trade intelligence firm Panjiva. April shipments, at 955,956, saw a 0.3% gain compared to April 2017, getting annual shipment growth back on a positive track, following March’s 0.2% annual decline. March’s annual decline was the first one going back to a 7.7% annual drop-off in February 2017.

In February, freight shipments and expenditures each saw annual gains, with shipments up for the 17th consecutive month and expenditures up for the 14th consecutive month.

July shipments, at 1.126 were off 3.2% compared to June and up 1.4% annually, and July expenditures at 2.460 headed up 4.5% annually and were off 1.5% compared to June.

Reversing a trend which occurred in February and March, cost growth outpaced shipment growth, according to data in the most recent edition of the Cass Freight Index report.

Slight signs of economic stability appeared to take hold on the global trade front from October to November, according to data from Panjiva.

The company said that Monday, December 12 is expected to be the busiest day in its almost 40-year history, pegging today’s shipment count to check in at around 17 million, which is about twice as much a typical day’s average volume.

Coming off of a 4 percent gain in United States-bound waterborne shipments from January to February, shipments from March to April saw a 7 percent bump with 959,364 shipments, said Panjiva. And the number of global manufacturers shipping to the U.S.—at 139,337 was up 6 percent.