“The U.S. LEI rose sharply in June, pointing to continued growth in the U.S. economy and perhaps even a moderate improvement in GDP growth in the second half of the year,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, Director of Business Cycles and Growth Research at The Conference Board. “The broad-based gain in the U.S. LEI was led by a large contribution from housing permits, which improved after several months of weakness.” – The Conference Board
News
MIQ Logistics is now providing regular LCL ocean consolidation services from Houston to multiple locations in Latin America.
Source: Cass Information Systems, Inc.
Not only have both the Shipments and Expenditures Indexes have now been positive for six months in a row, but they are showing accelerating strength. Throughout the U.S. economy, there is a growing number of data points suggesting that the economy continues to get slightly better. Some data points are simply less bad, but an increasing number of them are better, and even a few are becoming outright strong.
Source: American Trucking Associations
American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 4.3% in June, following a 6.9% gain during May. In June, the index equaled 138.5 (2000=100), down from 144.7 in May.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Sales
The combined value of distributive trade sales and manufacturers’ shipments for May, adjusted for seasonal and
trading-day differences but not for price changes, was estimated at $1,350.2 billion, down 0.2 percent (±0.2
percent)* from April 2017, but was up 5.1 percent (±0.4 percent) from May 2016.
Source: National Retail Federation
July and August should be two of the busiest months ever seen for imports at the nation’s major retail container ports, possibly setting a new record as merchants enter the back-to-school season and begin to stock up for the holiday season that will follow, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 222,000 in June, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 4.4 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in health care, social assistance, financial activities, and mining.
Higher Tariffs?
A widely-cited AXIOS report indicates the President intends to impose 20% tariffs on Steel and possibly other imports, against the advice of his cabinet. Other products under scrutiny include Aluminum, Solar Cells and Washing Machines.
More expansive than Antidumping or Countervailing Duty, Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (Sec 232 – National Security: Steel, Aluminum) and Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Sec 201 – Global Safeguards: Solar Cells, Washing Machines) permit the imposition of trade barriers, including increased duties, across all origins and, is not trading-partner specific.
Source: Institute for Supply Management.
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in June, and the overall economy grew for the 97th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.
Cass Information Systems, Inc.
Not only have both the Shipments and Expenditures Indexes have now been positive for five months in a row, but they are showing accelerating strength. Throughout the U.S. economy, there is a growing number of data points suggesting that the economy continues to get slightly better. Some data points are simply less bad, but an increasing number of them are better, and even a few are becoming outright strong.
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