Knowing is half the battle "We were amazed at how PIERS Prospects so quickly and easily allowed our sales team to identify and target new business in an area and also give us unknown insights into the activities of our existing clients." Mignon Crawford, Director of Global Trade Solutions, SunTrust Bank, Inc.

Attack of the Clones "We compared PIERS vehicle maritime export information, which includes VINs, against our Carfax Vehicle History database to uncover any post-export-date records of U.S. activity with the vehicles, such as new titles, safety and emissions inspections, maintenance, and stolen vehicle records", says Richard Guerin of Carfax, a provider of vehicle history reports... read more

The car may be exported, but its cloned VIN can stay behind to cover illegal traffic in stolen or salvaged cars - as Carfax found out with some help from PIERS intelligence. "While hundreds of thousands of motor vehicles are legally exported from the U.S. each year," says Richard Guerin of Carfax, a provider of vehicle history reports, "VINs from these vehicles may be cloned and used for other, illicit purposes." Guerin explains that the counterfeit VINs - vehicle identification numbers - may be used to disguise stolen or salvaged vehicles in the U.S. while their original holders are shipped overseas. Or the VINs are exported to counterfeiters abroad, while the vehicles enter gray markets here at home.

One thing is certain, says Guerin, VINs attached to vehicles declared as exports continue to show up in the records here long after they officially left the country. A 2004 Carfax study, based in part on PIERS trade data, estimates counterfeit VINs may cover losses to consumers and insurers of more than US$6 billion over the last decade.

"We compared PIERS vehicle maritime export information, which includes VINs, against our Carfax Vehicle History database to uncover any post-export-date records of U.S. activity with the vehicles, such as new titles, safety and emissions inspections, maintenance, and stolen vehicle records."

PIERS reports slightly more than four million automobiles exported from the U.S. by ship since 1992 [through 2003]. Over one-half million of the exported VINs - nearly 15% of the total - appear in the Carfax history records post-export. Some small portion of these may have re-entered the U.S. market legally, notes Guerin, but the majority appear to be used to conceal illicit trade.

Carfax also analyzed its customers' inquiries about the pedigree of cars for sale and estimates as much as 2% concerned vehicles with exported VINs. Similarly, reports of stolen vehicles carrying the suspect VINs - both before and after the declared export date - suggest yet another avenue for fraud.

Carfax has developed alerts directing customers who inquire about VINs with conflicting histories to contact law enforcement, Guerin adds, noting that the year-old program has been instrumental in recovering more than $1 million in stolen vehicles. Carfax also works directly with state and federal law enforcement agencies and insurance companies to assist in investigations.

Detecting Dumping For Lindsey Tapper, PIERS TI® is rife with clues that lead her straight to instances of chemicals being dumped on American markets. "The variety of reports PIERS offers is outstanding. I've used other outlets and they typically offer just one report. But PIERS offers variety: I can do a quick country comparison, or get different graphs. I can zoom in on a Bill of Lading, or get a report on all activity for one shipper. And I get almost immediate results," she adds. "The quickness with which I can get a report is really an advantage." Lindsey Tapper of Chattem Chemicals... read more

PIERS makes it easier for Chattem Chemicals to monitor shipping for below-market-price imports ... and compile the evidence for antidumping claims. For Lindsey Tapper, PIERS TI® is rife with clues that lead her straight to instances of chemicals being dumped on American markets.

Of course, hers is a practiced eye: Tapper monitors shipping for below-market-price imports and compiles the evidence needed to substantiate antidumping claims filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce for Chattem Chemicals, Chattanooga-headquartered manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients and performance chemicals for the consumer and industrial markets.

It's an investigative job that involves combing trade data for patterns and anomalies - a job, says Tapper, that PIERS TI (Trade Intelligence) has made much easier. "PIERS information is extremely detailed, but it's very well organized," she explains. "It's very well laid out, very easy to navigate. It didn't take long for me to learn my way around."

Navigability is key. "I might total the weights of all shipments associated with a notify party, then check them against Commerce figures for discrepancies," Tapper explains. "Or I might start with a country of origin and narrow down to specific tariff codes or shippers. Or a just word or two from 'marks and numbers' on one bill of lading may suggest another line of inquiry."

PIERS TI allows Tapper a great deal of flexibility in her investigative approach. "The variety of reports PIERS offers is outstanding. I've used other outlets and they typically offer just one report. But PIERS offers variety: I can do a quick country comparison, or get different graphs. I can zoom in on a bill of lading, or get a report on all activity for one shipper."

"And I get almost immediate results," she adds. "The quickness with which I can get a report is really an advantage."

And when the data adds up to dumping, Tapper points out, the fact that it comes from an authoritative source makes it a solid basis for a DOC claim to antidumping remedies.

Bright Outlook for Ag Exports The USDA reports are a good place to start building an export strategy. PIERS can fill in the details - including buyers and sellers of specific products - to develop your business model. "This is information exporters can use to get their products to the market in the best condition, in the quickest time, and at the lowest cost possible." USDA Economist April Taylor... read more

Ocean transport rates make the Pacific Rim the market of choice for U.S. ag exports. The USDA uses PIERS data to report on ocean transport trends. At year-end 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was forecasting 6% growth in U.S. agricultural exports to a near-record high of $59.5 billion in 2004. Most of those exports will be heading west. PIERS data indicates that approximately 60% of containerized agricultural exports from the U.S. go to Asia, with the biggest share going to Japan.

The dollar's depreciation is helping drive U.S. exports overall. A key factor favoring exports to Asia is the break on rates offered by shipping lines eager to fill empty containers returning from the U.S. That's good news for ag exporters: transport costs account for a big share of the import price of their products - as much as 50% for lower-value commodities.

USDA economist April Taylor is a member of the team that prepares the agency's reports on containerized transport:Ocean Rate Bulletin and Agricultural Container Indicators, both quarterlies, and the semi-annual Agricultural Ocean Transportation Trends.

All three draw on PIERS data. "For example," she explains, "USDA uses PIERS to select the leading lines, representative agricultural exports, and high-volume trade lanes for the Ocean Rate Bulletin's side-by-side comparisons of rates."

The Container Indicators track rates, capacity utilization, and volumes for agriculture shipments to Asia. Transportation Trends analyzes issues impacting containerized transport costs.

"The USDA reports extend access to selected PIERS intelligence to new exporters and the smaller producers," says Taylor, noting that most big exporters have in-house market intelligence facilities. [Most are PIERS subscribers too. - Editor]

"This is information exporters can use to get their products to the market in the best condition, in the quickest time, and at the lowest cost possible," Taylor adds.

The USDA reports are a good place to start building an export strategy. PIERS can fill in the details - including buyers and sellers of specific products - to develop your business model.

Saving Time "I had questions that a client needed answers to and I estimated the research would take a month--amazingly all the information, reports, plus a comprehensive list of the international companies that the client needed to get in touch with were all at my fingertips in under a minute." Dana B. Eidness, Director of International Trade, Vermont Global Trade Partnership

Details Count in a Tight Market Hunsicker's organization uses PIERS data to monitor U.S. trade in Arkema's product categories. Her primary in-house clients are the marketers in Arkema's diverse business groups. "We use the data to find and qualify new customers as well as to track trends." Susan Hunsicker, Manager of Information Resources for Philadelphia-headquartered Arkema Inc. (formerly Atofina Chemicals, Inc.)... read more

The chemical industry is experiencing a resurgence ... but with higher costs and heated competition, it's critical to keep close track on the marketplace - as Arkema Inc. does. America's leading export sector, the chemical industry was buoyed by news that 2003's resurgence in demand was sustained through 2004. Still, optimism is tempered by caution: Feedstock and energy costs remain high, the bills for environmental safety and security programs are coming due, and the competition from Asia and the Middle East is heating up. To make it in this environment, companies need to recognize new gains in productivity, pursue innovation ... and be ready to adapt quickly to a rapidly shifting market.

PIERS trade data supplies the fine detail chemical companies need to spot the small advantages that may make all the difference. "There are other sources for import data, but only PIERS data supplies detail down to the individual shipment," says Susan Hunsicker, Manager of Information Resources for Philadelphia-headquartered Arkema Inc.(formerly Atofina Chemicals, Inc.).

Hunsicker's organization uses PIERS data to monitor U.S. trade in Arkema's product categories. Her primary in-house clients are the marketers in Arkema's diverse business groups. "We use the data to find and qualify new customers," she says, as well as to track trends.

The data is useful, too, in locating sources of supply. "The PIERS data is unique in that it enables us to search for a specific chemical. Many chemicals can be lumped together under a tariff code - 'other aromatics' let's say. PIERS data doesn't stop at the tariff code. You can search the data by chemical name."

According to Hunsicker, PIERS enhanced detail on current transactions has also been used by Arkema to set the parameters when negotiating new supply contracts. There have been other, unanticipated benefits: "It has happened that we've identified imports of chemicals that can only be produced by Arkema-patented processes," she says. "The PIERS shipment data provided clear evidence of infringement."

A Few Good Sources The Army Corps of Engineers relies on a few good sources for the information that guides its planning, including the U.S. Census, Customs, and PIERS. If not for PIERS, the Corps would be collecting and coding more of this information and spending more time to edit trade data for transportation. "It's a question of allocating our resources for maximum effect. There really isn't an alternative resource comparable to PIERS for coded transportation data." Susan Hassett, Foreign Program Manager at the Corps' Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. read more

The Army Corps of Engineers relies on a few good sources for the information that guides its planning, including the U.S. Census, Customs, and PIERS. "The Army Corps of Engineers has one of the most robust datasets for transportation available. It's the result of drawing on the strengths of a handful of authoritative sources: primarily Census for trade information, Customs for vessel traffic, and PIERS for detailed transportation data," says Susan Hassett, Foreign Program Manager at the Corps' Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center.

According to Hassett, the Corps matches the PIERS manifest-based data and the Census trade-based cargo datasets to the Customs vessel entrance/clearance records. Since Customs now collects dock level vessel information for most vessel moves in foreign trade, the Corps can extrapolate additional detail on vessel movements and characteristics. Hassett adds that the PIERS data alone provides information about container shipments, including number, size, and TEUs.

The resulting information is critical to planning, budgeting and managing the Corps' navigation engineering, construction, operations and maintenance, Hassett says. The Corps operates and maintains 25,000 miles of navigable channels and 196 commercial lock and dam sites.

"Most U.S. coastal channel activity is the result of waterborne import and export commodities and in-bond cargo movements as well as foreign vessel traffic," explains Hassett, "and this is the data that PIERS provides."

If not for PIERS, the Corps would be collecting and coding more of this information and spending more time to edit trade data for transportation use, Hassett says. "It's a question of allocating our resources for maximum effect. There really isn't an alternative resource comparable to PIERS for coded transportation data."

Unlocking New Opportunities Using PIERS VIN Data 'PIERS data opened an entirely new revenue stream for us,' said Scott Stephens, General Manager, Manheim Export. 'By comparing our database with the VIN numbers in PIERS export data, we were able to see which of our customers were shipping overseas and exactly where they were shipping to. This allowed us to consolidate these shipments, and pass on the carriers' bulk rate to our customers.'

Swift Ingenuity Seaboard Marine uses PIERS data to effectively manage our competitive planning. It has strengthened our ability to keep up-to-date on the import/export activities of other companies which empowers us to react not only with informed strategy, but also with swift ingenuity. The data portrays the market shares of other ocean carriers with clarity and precision, proving instrumental to our successful achievement of wide-ranging market research initiatives.