U.S. import shipment volume for October, measured in TEUs, increased 0.33 percent from September and decreased 1 percent from October of 2010, according to Zepol, a trade intelligence company. The total number of inbound shipments rose 1 percent from September and increased the same amount from October of last year. Year to date, total TEUs are up 1.13 percent this year over last year.

Key Statistics from this month's update:

1. After a 15-percent drop in September, shipments from Europe recovered in October by jumping 10 percent, mainly due to increased imports from Italy, France and Spain. Imports from Asia continued a downward trend for the second consecutive month, with TEUs slipping 1.5 percent from September.

Central America posted an increase in TEUs of nearly 5 percent from September; key contributors to the increase were Guatemala and Costa Rica. Lastly, vessel imports from Mexico reached a record high for the year in October with 5,700 TEUs imported.

2. Ports in the Pacific region of the U.S. increased TEU imports by
0.67 percent in October, after posting a 9-percent decrease in September. Imports into the Port of L.A. Increased 4.5 percent while imports into the Port of Long Beach decreased 8.8 percent from September. The Port of Oakland saw imports drop for the second consecutive month.

3. The number one carrier, Maersk Line, jumped 13.6 percent from September and exhibited a record-high number of imports in October, reaching 173,000 shipments. Coming in second is Mediterranean Shipping Company, which saw inbound shipments increase 5 percent from September.

Source: Zepol Corporation