A quick glance into the Logistics Market - February 2013
Georgia Logistics complies a monthly set of facts and figures regarding the Logistics Markets. We selected a few facts to share with you :-
The U.S. GDP decreased 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012 according to the first preliminary estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The U.S. trade deficit decreased by 20.7% in December to $38.5 billion, the lowest deficit since January 2010. Exports rose 2.1% to $186.4 billion and imports fell 2.7% to $224.9 billion.
The consumer price index for all urban consumers decreased 0.3% in November from the previous month. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.8%. The producer price index for finished goods decreased 0.2% in December from the previous month. Prices for finished goods rose 1.3% over the previous year.
Retail and food service sales rose in January to $416.6 billion, up 0.1% from the previous month, and up 4.4% above January 2012. Non-store retailer sales were up 15.7% from last year.
TRUCKING:
The ATA’s seasonally adjusted cargo index rose 2.8% in December after rising 3.9% in November. The for-hire truck tonnage index fell 2.3% year-over-year.
The trucking industry added 5,000 jobs in January. The trucking workforce increased 0.36% over the previous month and rose 3.6% over the previous year.
The spot market for truckload freight in January rose 18% compared to the previous month, and was 28% higher year-over-year. Truck capacity rose 19% for the month, and was up 21% year-over-year.
AIR FREIGHT:
Global air freight traffic in December decreased 0.3% from one year ago and rose 0.8% from the previous month. North American air freight in December fell 0.7% year-over-year.
American Airlines and US Airways announced a merger that will create one of the world’s largest airlines. The two carriers are collectively worth about $11 billion. The combined airline will operate under the American Airlines name.
OCEAN FREIGHT:
Import shipment volume, in TEUs, at U.S. ports increased 6.9% in January from the previous month and rose 0.1% year-over-year. Over 1.5 million TEUs were imported in January, and shipments were over 750,000.
The Baltic Dry Index rose 8.9% in January, ending at 760. The BDI has remained steady during the first half of February.
UPS expanded its direct Less-than-container load offering to more than 300 additional lanes in 2012 to meet growing global market demands. UPS now operates more than 1,700 direct LCL lanes servicing 116 countries. In Asia alone, UPS added 139 outbound lanes to connect retailers and suppliers in the global market.
WAREHOUSING & DISTRIBUTION:
The U.S. average industrial vacancy rate was 8.9% during Q4 2012, down from 9.1% in the previous quarter. Overall vacancy was 10.1% in the South and 13.4% in Atlanta during the fourth quarter.
In Q4 2012, warehouse and distribution rental rates in the US averaged $5.00 per square foot. Rental rates for warehouse space averaged $4.52/square foot in the South and $3.42/square foot in Atlanta.
The National PMI rose 2.9 points to 53.1 in January 2013. New orders rose 3.6 points to 53.3 and production increased 1 point to 53.6.
RAIL:
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Intermodal container volumes hit a record high in 2012 with 13.1 million moves, a 5.9% increase year-over-year. Total intermodal shipments in 2012 grew 4%. Domestic container shipments topped 5 million for the first time, reflecting a growth rate of 12.2% over 2011 activity. International containers had the largest share of intermodal loadings, accounting for 52% of the total.
Railroad bulk carload freight in January 2013 fell 3.9% from December 2012. Freight traffic in January fell 6.3% from January 2012. Carloads excluding coal and grain increased 1.8% over the previous year.
Intermodal rail traffic in January 2013 was 5.3% higher than in January 2012 and 2.4% higher than December 2012 totals. Intermodal loadings have experienced year-over-year gains for 38 straight months
MULTIMODAL: |
Dow Jones Transportation index rose 6.1% during the month of January.
U.S. exports of goods and services reached a record $2.2 trillion in 2012. Exports in 2012 outpaced the growth in imports for the first time since 2007. Exports as a share of U.S. GDP were 13.9% in 2012, matching the record set in 2011.
In December, the U.S. imported about $224.9 billion of cargo. December U.S. imports have decreased 2.7% in terms of value from November, and fell 2% year-over-year.