U.S. seaborne imports hit a record high in August after containerized freight shipments rose by 5.9% year over year, breaking through 2.7 million TEUs for the first time. That was largely down to a 14.3% surge in shipments from China while imports from Asia ex-China increased by a more modest 4.0%. Much of the recovery has been driven by consumer goods in the wake of COVID-19 with discretionary product imports up by 16.1% and staples rising by 34.9% on stronger food and personal care shipments. Industrial demand is also improving with imports up by 4.4%. The represented a balance betw...