[QUOTE=Rocketeer]
Really? What’s that all about? Increasing demand, or are they melting them for scrap?
[/QUOTE]
The empty containers are needed for exporting goods that are in increased demand because of the decreased value of the dollar. It is insane. It takes up to half an hour to get some export carriers’ service depts. on the phone to make a booking, if they will even take it. Don’t even try if you want to ship from Houston. Got freight in Minnesota or North Dakota? Fuhgettaboudit. You are going to need to spend a couple of grand for a trucker to bring you a container from (if you’re lucky) Chicago, and you might not even be able to get that. The ships are so full that in some markets you can’t even get a booking for a shipper-owned container.
Two years ago you could have a customer request a booking from anywhere to anywhere and you get a sailing within at most a week or two. Now we are telling people to book at least 4 weeks in advance and sometimes that’s not enough. It’s crazy, I tell you, crazy!
That said, here’s an interesting PDF from the US – China Business Council. It lists exports to China by state.
[/QUOTE]
Intersting PDF, poor little Wisconsin didn’t crack the top 15. It was close though #15 Virginia $722M, Wisconsin $674M.
What I meant was if China just passed the US as the #2 exporter in the world who is the #1 exporter in the world?
[QUOTE=justrob] I just wish I never saw the last episode. :smack:
[/QUOTE]
So you understand my temptation to write “you are, number two.” (Also glad you got the reference, after posting I thought it might have come out a bit snarky. Gotta love the dope.)
In 2006 the US exported $1.5 billion of pulp and waste paper to China. This compares with $2.5 billion of Oil seeds and oleaginous fruit, $2.3 billion of Textile fibers (other than wool tops and other combed wool) and their wastes (not manufactured into yarn or fabric), $5.2 billion of Metalliferous ores and metal scrap, $1.4 billion of organic chemicals, $2.1 billion of plastics in primary forms, $6.3 billion of transport equipment, $8.1 billion of Electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, n.e.s., and electrical parts thereof (including nonelectrical counterparts of household type, n.e.s.), $2.3 billion of General industrial machinery and equipment, n.e.s., and machine parts, n.e.s., and $2.3 billion of Office machines and automatic data processing machines, to name a few categories.
Huh, I see from the table that exports to China were up to $55 billion by 2006, while imports were a honking $306 billion (CIF basis). But there may be subtleties that I’m missing.
At any rate, I wouldn’t dwell too long on the recycling issue. It’s a small part of the story.
I just wish I never saw the last episode. :smack: