Four ways to access US import data — CBP FOIA, Census USA Trade Online, free aggregators, and paid platforms — compared on coverage, freshness, cost, and effort, with a worked example tested through all four.
Four ways to access US import data — CBP FOIA, Census USA Trade Online, free aggregators, and paid platforms — compared on coverage, freshness, cost, and effort, with a worked example tested through all four.
A step-by-step explainer of customs data: the four types you'll encounter, which countries publish it, where to access it, and five concrete workflows used by real importers and exporters.
Every field on a bill of lading explained — master vs house BOL, shipper, consignee, vessel, container, HS code, weight — and what each one tells you about the buyer or supplier behind the shipment.
Global trade data platforms in 2026 compared: yTrade, Volza, ExportGenius, ImportGenius, Panjiva, Datamyne, TradeAtlas on features, pricing, and compliance.
yTrade vs Volza compared: 200+ countries with built-in compliance and fixed pricing vs 203-209 countries with points-based downloads and a 7-day trial.
yTrade vs ExportGenius: yTrade offers unlimited search, built-in compliance, and fixed pricing from $99/month; ExportGenius uses points-based variable pricing.
yTrade vs ImportGenius compared on features, pricing, and compliance. yTrade: 200+ countries, $99/month; ImportGenius: 25+ countries, US-focused, $229/month.
yTrade vs TradeAtlas: yTrade offers unlimited HS codes, built-in compliance, and $99/month billing; TradeAtlas offers AI importer matching from $2,950/year.
yTrade vs Datamyne: yTrade offers built-in sanctions screening and transparent pricing from $99/month; Datamyne provides tariff tools and landed cost via Descartes.
yTrade vs Panjiva: yTrade offers 200+ countries, built-in compliance, and transparent pricing from $99/month; Panjiva covers ~20 countries via S&P Global.
