Industry Resources

Learn about IHA’s cost-saving programs, including the International Housewares Shippers Association, designed to help members grow their business!

Contract Negotiations Bring Many Questions for Shippers

The 2018 peak season in the Eastbound Transpacific market has thankfully come to an end. Carrier capacity constraints and an unprecedented increase in volume caused rates to skyrocket and created a space crisis that crippled US supply chains. Shippers are hoping that 2019 will offer some stability leading up to the 2019-20 ocean contract negotiations. Unfortunately, the one…

A Tariff Update: Initial Implications of the “90-Day Hold”

China and the United States held high-level trade talks at the G20 in Argentina and although many of the details are unknown or being debated, the decision to halt additional tariffs is a welcome development to housewares manufacturers and retailers. The planned increase to “List 3” tariffs from the current 10% level to 25% on January 1, 2019 was going to be painful to the…

More Capacity Management Expected from the Carriers

Shippers hoping that 2019 will bring some much-needed stability to their rates and supply chains may be disappointed. Carriers have already informed shippers that capacity management will be a major point of emphasis moving into 2019 and 2020. Shippers have been experiencing higher freight costs and disruptions in their supply chains since August 2018. Further cuts in carrier…

Asia to U.S. Space Crunch Persists

The space crisis has been dominating the Asia to U.S. market since the end of June 2018. The crisis continues to cause major disruptions in import supply chains and increase freight costs of container shipments to the United States. The experts that project supply/demand balances were way off the mark leaving no warning of an impending space crunch to importers. In a two-week…

Leana Salamah Named VP, Marketing at IHA

The International Housewares Association (IHA) announced today that Leana Salamah has joined the Association as vice president, marketing. Salamah has 20 years’ experience in marketing, including trade show, association and event marketing, and is replacing Derek Miller who became IHA president Oct. 1. She will be responsible for overall management of IHA and International…

Join the Relief Effort for Hurricane Victims

Victims of Hurricane Michael also will receive assistance from Good360, the charity the International Housewares Association has partnered with to provide hurricane victims with home goods products as they rebuild their lives and homes. Last month IHA announced its partnership with Good360 to help the Carolinas recover from Hurricane Florence. Hurricane Michael made landfall…

Tariffs Impacting Supply Chains

The threat of tariffs from China are causing inventories in the US to spike. Shippers importing from China have been pulling holiday cargo ahead since June to avoid potential tariffs. The latest threat of a 25% tariff scheduled to be implemented January 1, 2019 has both shippers and warehouse operators concerned. Distribution facilities that specialize in handling import…

Four New Directors Elected to IHA Board Of Directors

Four new directors have been elected to the board of directors of the International Housewares Association (IHA), the full-service trade association for the housewares industry. The new directors are: Scott Henrikson, president, Dexas International; Darrin Johnston, managing director, Meyer Corporation; Lisa W. Knierim, president & CEO - Americas, Villeroy & Boch;…

Strong Demand Powers Rate Increases

Rates continue to escalate in the Eastbound Transpacific market. Strong demand, reduction of capacity, and the threat of tariffs are all contributing factors that are causing the high rates shippers are being forced to pay to move their cargo from Asia to the United States. Ocean rates to both the US East Coast and US West Coast are 53% higher than they were this time last…