The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) just released its annual “The Year in Trade” report for 2018. This detailed report features all of the global trade trends from 2018. Some of the key elements to this report are exchange rate trends, administration of U.S. trade laws, global trade agreements, new trade relations, and global economic trends, among others. Highlighted below are a few of the trade trends we saw in 2018.
Trade Activities With Major Trading Partners
The European Union as a single entity continued to be the United States’ largest trading partner in 2018. The EU member countries accounted for 6 of the top 15 U.S. trading partners. Leading U.S. exports to the EU included civilian aircraft, engines, and crude petroleum. After the EU, China remained the United States’ largest single-country trading partner, accounting for 15.7% of total U.S. merchandise trade. Leading U.S. imports from China in 2018 were cellphones, computers and tablets, and computer parts. Canada remained third on the list and accounted for 14.7% of total U.S. merchandise trade.
In 2018, Canada was the United States’ second-largest single-country trading partner after China for the fourth consecutive year. The value of U.S. two-way merchandise trade with Canada rose 6.1 percent to $617.1 billion in 2018, accounting for 14.7 percent of total U.S. merchandise trade with the world. Both U.S. merchandise exports and imports with Canada increased in 2018 from the previous year, but imports outpaced exports, resulting in a $2.6 billion increase (15.8 percent) in the U.S. merchandise trade deficit with Canada to $19.7 billion. Leading U.S. exports to Canada included crude petroleum; civilian aircraft, engines, and parts; motor vehicles—both for passengers and for goods transport—as well as their parts and accessories; and light oils. Top U.S. imports from Canada included crude petroleum; passenger motor vehicles and their parts and accessories; refined petroleum products; natural gas; and coniferous wood and products.
In 2018, Mexico was the United States’ third-largest single-country merchandise trading partner. U.S. two-way merchandise trade with Mexico amounted to $611.5 billion in 2018, an increase of 9.7 percent from 2017. Mexico accounted for 14.5 percent of U.S. trade with the world. U.S. merchandise exports to Mexico totaled $265.0 billion in 2018, and U.S. merchandise imports from Mexico amounted to $346.5 billion. Both U.S. merchandise imports and exports with Mexico increased in 2018 from the previous year. Leading U.S. exports to Mexico included light oils; refined petroleum products; computer parts and accessories; diesel engines; semiconductors; parts and accessories of bodies (including cabs) for motor vehicles; and civilian aircraft, engines, and parts. Leading U.S. imports from Mexico included passenger motor vehicles, motor vehicles for goods transport, telecommunications equipment, road tractors for semi-trailers, color TV reception apparatus, and insulated ignition wiring sets.
Global Economic Trends
Overall, the global economic growth rate fell slightly from 3.8% in 2017 to 3.6% in 2018. The slow global growth seen in 2018 is attributed to short-term uncertainty in economies due to trade tensions and financial pressures in emerging markets. The United States was the only economy to show improvement in it’s growth rate from 2017 to 2018.
U.S. Dollar Exchange Rate Trends
The U.S. dollar appreciated in comparison to other currencies, rising 5.5% between January and December 2018. The previous year, the U.S. dollar depreciated by 6.3%. The upwards trend in 2018 was driven partly by the Federal Open Market Committee’s four interest rate hikes, along with a lower than expected unemployment rate.
To read the full report, The Year in Trade 2018, published by the United States International Trade Commission, click here.
If your company has import or export needs, you should consider working with Logistics Plus. Global trade compliance management is as important as it has ever been. In the U.S. Logistics Plus more than a dozen locations that can help you with your transportation and logistics needs; and our Customs Brokerage staff can also help you clear customs for imports at any port in the United States. Additionally, Logistics Plus now has locations at 50 offices in over 20 countries. As always, you can find any of our worldwide employees in our online global directory.
When working with a reliable global logistics partner, port-to-port international shipping – transporting cargo from one seaport to another – should be made easy for shippers. An ocean freight forwarder such as Logistics Plus will navigate through different sailing options, complex regulations, customs documentation, and more behind the scenes. As a Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC), Logistics Plus is an expert at getting your freight on the water and to its destination.
What do I look for when selecting a port-to-port global logistics partner?
Many freight forwarders claim to offer port-to-port international shipping. But buyer beware – not all global logistics companies are the same. Some may be new and inexperienced, some may not handle customs clearance, and some may not offer shippers’ interest cargo insurance. It’s crucial to make sure your cargo is in good hands while it’s on the water. Here are a few questions to ask before selecting a port-to-port international freight forwarder:
Are they large enough to be experienced but small enough to pay attention to detail?
Do they offer a variety of sailings to and from all major ports?
Now that you have asked yourself these important questions, it’s time to choose your global logistics partner and prepare your shipment for the big move. You should start by compiling a detailed packing list and itemizing every piece of the shipment. Simple things such as the size, weight, packaging, and dimensions will all play a factor in getting an accurate rate estimate. Your logistics provider will offer you appropriate shipping lines and sailings to and from the ports of your choosing. Once your shipment is en-route, you should be able to sit back and have the confidence that your logistics provider will frequently update you with the shipment status and final delivery.
Although port-to-port international shipping involves many different steps, our goal is to make it as easy as possible for our customers. If you’re ready to learn more about Logistics Plus and our international shipping services, please email us at quotes@logisticsplus.com or click the button below to receive a risk-free quote on your next ocean shipment.
Pieterjan (PJ) De Smedt, a close friend of Global Project Manager Frederik Geirnaert, decided to buy a sailing boat to take his family of 5 on a trip from Greece to Australia. After hearing about this journey, Logistics Plus offered to equip the ship with one of our own tracking devices to showcase our tracking and visibility capabilities.
Month 1 Update:
The first month of this journey saw them travel in the same way as the ancient Greek heroes. They passed the place where Homer lived and then crossed over the Adriatic Sea to the sole of the boot that is Sicily, Italy.
While it’s not written in the same dactylic hexameter as the Iliad or the Odyssey (poems written by Homer), PJ keeps a captains blog on his website. The blog is an interesting read about the adventures and travels which feature stories of headwinds, windfalls, storms, and close encounters. Photos from the first month of their journey can be seen below.
In case you missed it, Ryan Markiewicz, Moustafa Elhadary, Megan Stetz, and Kayla Frost were featured in a recent airing of Business Spotlight on WPSE AM 1450/FM 107.1 Radio. Business Spotlight is a 30-minute program airing Fridays at noon. Each segment focuses on a business or organization that is making an impact across the region.
In this segment, the group discussed their roles for the company, the Logistics Plus internship program, company culture, what it’s like to work for a global company, and more. You can listen to a replay of the interview on the Logistics Plus YouTube Channel below.
In February 2019, Patric Drewes and Sandra Dinklage visited a new client to introduce the new Logistics Plus Project GmbH team. Not long after, Logistics Plus was awarded two projects from this client, both of which were bale finishing systems weighing about 200 freight tons each. From morning to night, the Logistics Plus Project Cargo team successfully handled and delivered both projects. The two projects and some of the challenges our team faced are highlighted below:
GP-ARC7 Bale Press to Monroeville, AL:
A fixed delivery date of August 1, 2019
The bale press and several containers from Europe were in Shipper Owned Containers (SOC) and Carrier Owned Containers (COC)
Major SOC’s and COC’s were loaded at the factory in Foshan, China
The cases were not ready in time, creating a shorter time frame to reach the fixed delivery date
Limited space on the vessels sailing from China to the U.S.
GP-Foley to Perry, FL:
Delivery between July 29th and August 16th, 2019
The bale press delivered to Antwerp where it was to be loaded onto the vessel
The vessel carrier cancelled the sailing to Jacksonville, causing Logistics Plus to find a different solution (we did!)
The cargo was shipped in COC including out of gauge (OOG)
Consignee was unable to do a live offload and the containers had to stay on site on a chassis
Teamwork On Full Display
Both projects were coordinated by Sandra Dinklage and the Logistics Plus Project GmbH team in Bremen, Germany. The Bremen team was responsible for the coordination of all parts and the bale presses from Europe. Once coordinated, the Logistics Plus Shanghai team arranged the pre-carriage and ocean freight from the factory in China. The loading’s were arranged on weekends with full staff support. Lastly, the Logistics Plus U.S. Project Cargo team was responsible for coordinating with the clients broker, along with handling all of the drayage, trans-loading, and final deliveries of each container to site.
For more information about our Project Cargo services and solutions, contact us today.
Logistics Plus Named a Best Medium-Sized Workplace
by Great Place to Work® and FORTUNE
Logistics Plus ranked #54 among the top 100 on the annual list presented by Fortune Media.
ERIE, PA (October 17, 2019) – Logistics Plus Inc., a leading worldwide provider of transportation, logistics and supply chain solutions, is proud to announce that it has been honored by Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture, and FORTUNE as a 2019 Best Medium Workplace for companies with 100 to 999 employees.
To determine the 2019 Best Small and Medium Workplaces lists, Great Place to Work® analyzed anonymous survey feedback representing more than 189,000 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified™ organizations. Employees responded to more than 60 survey questions anonymously rating their employers. Logistics Plus took the number 54 spot on the top 100 list for medium-sized workplaces.
“We are honored to be recognized as a best medium-sized workplace,” said Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus. “We’re grown a lot, and we’ve hired a lot of new people the past couple years. I am so proud of how our employees have embraced our fun, yet challenging, work culture as shown by the Great Place to Work survey results. Our folks work hard, work late when needed, they’re learning new things, and taking on new responsibilities. I’ve been more than pleased with the workforce we’ve attracted here in Erie, Pennsylvania and at our other offices around the world.”
About the Best Small Workplaces and Best Medium Workplaces lists Great Place to Work based its ranking on a data-driven methodology applied to anonymous Trust Index™ survey responses representing more than 189,000 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified™ organizations. To learn more about Great Place to Work Certification and recognition on Best Workplaces lists published with FORTUNE, visit Greatplacetowork.com.
About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture. They help organizations quantify their culture and produce better business results by creating a high-trust work experience for all employees. They recognize Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies and the Best Workplaces ™ in the US. Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About Logistics Plus Inc. Logistics Plus Inc. provides freight transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, global logistics, business intelligence technology, and supply chain management solutions through a worldwide network of talented and caring professionals. The company was founded over 23 years ago in Erie, PA by local entrepreneur, Jim Berlin. Today, Logistics Plus is a highly-regarded fast-growing and award-winning transportation and logistics company. With a strong passion for excellence, its 500+ employees put the “plus” in logistics by doing the big things properly, and the countless little things, that together ensure complete customer satisfaction and success.
The Logistics Plus® network includes offices located in Erie, PA; Little Rock, AR; Los Angeles, CA; Riverside, CA; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Visalia, CA; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Lexington, NC; Buffalo, NY; New York, NY; Olean, NY; Akron, OH; Cleveland, OH; Charleston, SC; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; Fort Worth, TX; Houston, TX; Laredo, TX; Winchester, VA; Madison, WI; Australia; Bahrain; Belgium; Brazil; Canada; China; Colombia; Czech Republic; Egypt; France; Germany; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Libya; Mexico; Netherlands; Poland; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Taiwan; Turkey; UAE; Uganda; and United Kingdom; with additional agents around the world. For more information, visit www.logisticsplus.com or follow @LogisticsPlus on Twitter.
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) just released its annual “The Year in Trade” report for 2018. This detailed report features all of the global trade trends from 2018. Some of the key elements to this report are exchange rate trends, administration of U.S. trade laws, global trade agreements, new trade relations, and global economic trends, among others. Highlighted below are a few of the trade trends we saw in 2018.
When working with a reliable global logistics partner, port-to-port international shipping – transporting cargo from one seaport to another – should be made easy for shippers. An 
Pieterjan (PJ) De Smedt, a close friend of Global Project Manager 
In February 2019, 
