IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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IPC COMMUNITY 16 SPRING 2023 Where Are Freight Costs Going? F or some electronics manufacturing companies, lower freight costs are likely to be their most significant cost savings this year. Decreased demand and improving supply chain dynamics are pulling freight costs down, a trend that should continue throughout this year Downward cyclical pressures will curtail volume, which should keep prices in check. SEA FREIGHT Global container flows experienced a rapid normalization in the back half of 2022. In the U.S., for example, imports of 20-foot equiva- lent container units (TEUs) through leading U.S. ports were up 5.6% through the first half of 2022, but declined 7.6% in the second half. In fact, December's import total dropped below 2019's average monthly total, the first such INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE Chart 1: Loaded imports at major U.S. ports. By Shawn DuBravac, IPC Chief Economist