Top Source Countries Identified for U.S. Containerized Imports

PIERS forecasts moderate growth rate in 2011

NEWARK, New Jersey, October 28, 2010 - U.S. containerized imports showed positive growth year-to-date ending
August 2010, according to PIERS, the Standard in Trade Intelligence. An
analysis of the data reveals that the U.S. containerized imports grew 15
percent year-to-date (10,846,000 TEUs) with China tracking as the lead source
country. Yet, while containerized import growth is expected to continue this
year, a slowdown appears to be on the horizon.

Of the 173 countries with import activity in the PIERS database, China
ships more containerized imports to the U.S. than any other country. From
January through August, 2010, the U.S. sourced 48 percent of its
containerized imports from China, that is, 5.3 million TEUs, up by 17.8
percent from a year earlier. In August, containerized imports from China
surged by 23.5 percent compared to August 2009.

Other top source countries following at a distant second and third place
are South Korea and Japan, at 4 percent and 3 percent respectively. South
Korea, with the highest growth rate year-to-date at 38 percent, shipped
419,000 TEUs, displacing Japan's 372,000 inbound TEUs to the third place.
South Korea's rapid ascend was boosted by unfavorable exchange rates as the
Korean Won lost 4 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar, while the
Japanese Yen gained 9 percent in value. "A weak Korean Won combined with a
strong Japanese Yen, makes Korea more attractive to the U.S. as Japan and
Korea export similar goods," states Mario Moreno, PIERS Economist.

Additionally, Moreno, forecasts a strong growth rate for U.S.
containerized imports in 2010. "I expect a growth rate of 15.5 percent in
2010 before slowing down to 4.9 percent in 2011. The decline is attributed to
several factors, notably a sustained, uncomfortably high unemployment rate."

When analyzing the data from a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
perspective, Vietnam, followed by China and India, have been the fastest
growing source countries over a seven year period beginning in 2003. Vietnam
rose swiftly in the rankings at 20%, mostly due to its manufacturing sector.
China and India grew 6 percent and 4 percent respectively. Vietnam's rise is
attributed to its manufacturing sector, particularly footwear and apparel.

    (Photo: photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101028/NY90804 )
    (Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101028/NY90804 )

About PIERS: PIERS is the global import and export information service
that provides powerful tools and data for measuring markets, analyzing
competition and uncovering opportunities. Launched more than 35 years ago,
PIERS was the first venture in digital global trade intelligence and quickly
became the industry standard for accuracy, reliability and insight. Thousands
of subscribers from public and private businesses, trade associations and
governments around the world rely on PIERS to guide their global business
strategies. PIERS is a division of UBM Global Trade, and a sister company of
The Journal of Commerce. For more information, visit www.piers.com ,
or call +1-800-952-3839 (+1-973-776-8660).

About UBM Global Trade - UBM Global Trade is the leading provider of
proprietary data, news, business intelligence and analytical content
supporting commercial maritime, rail, trucking, warehousing and logistics
industries worldwide. The company's portfolio of more than 100 online, print
and interactive workflow business solutions includes The Journal of Commerce,
Breakbulk, RailResource, PIERS and an array of international trade and
transportation databases and directories. UBM Global Trade, a subsidiary of
United Business Media Limited, is headquartered in Newark, NJ, with offices
throughout the United States. For more information, explore
www.ubmglobaltrade.com or call +1-800-223-0243 (+1-973-848-7250
outside the U.S. or Canada).

Susan Kelemen, +1-973-776-7835, skelemen at piers.com