Empowering journalism with trade data insights

Made in America’ doesn’t mean ‘Exempt in America." CNBC spoke with Michael Kanko, founder & CEO of ImportGenius on how tariffs hit even US-based manufacturers.

Illegally mined gold is slipping into the global supply chain—mislabeled as “recycled,” bypassing laws and certifications meant to prevent it. To map trade flows, journalists once again turned to 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘂𝘀 .

Sharp analysis from Lori Ann LaRocco on how tariffs are already reshaping U.S. inventory levels. ImportGenius trade data helped power this piece—showing what's actually moving across borders.

Figures suggest companies are stockpiling goods ahead of levies promised by Donald Trump

The impact on economies across the U.S. will be extensive, though it will vary greatly from state to state.

U.S. companies are frontloading cargo bound for the U.S. due to the uncertainty regarding tariffs. Walmart, Columbia Sportswear and Lenovo have been actively stockpiling goods, according to U.S. Customs data…

Even in our modern world with planes and jets and drones, the vast majority of goods are moved around the planet in cargo ships. Which means our ports are the backbone of our global economy.

Following the collapse of the Baltimore port bridge, CNBC utilized data from ImportGenius to report on the impact of the bridge collapse. The data provided insights into the goods and containers on the ships that had to be diverted to alternative ports.

ImportGenius provided data to the Associated Press (AP) on the import of e-cigarettes to the US. The data - as well as what did not appear - highlighted the level of customs fraud occurring in the e-cigarette industry. This data led to the conclusion that major companies in China are using freight forwarders to evade customs and taxes.

ImportGenius provided data to The New York Times showing that tens of millions of dollars worth of aircraft parts were being imported into Russia despite US-imposed sanctions and export controls. The data specified which brands of parts were involved and helped shed light on the illicit networks which have sprung up to evade sanctions.

The Financial Times analyzed data from ImportGenius to report on a UK company that shipped billions of dollars worth of electronics to Russia. The ImportGenius data helped in examining the supply chain and included the monetary value of each specific good being sent.

ImportGenius provided data to POLITICO on Russian imports from China, which included "dual-use" items such as weapons and military equipment. ImportGenius detailed specific companies, supply routes, dates, and the contents of these shipments, along with their monetary value. The Russian importer responsible was later sanctioned.

As ships piled up off the coast of California, Lori Ann LaRocco wrote a story for Freightwaves on holiday supply chain congestion. ImportGenius provided data covering Walmart’s imports, offering specific insights into Walmart’s shipments by ports, port utilization, shipment tracking, and specific product shipments. This data provided a clearer understanding of the landscape and reasons behind the delays in the supply chain.

ImportGenius data identified that Sergei Roldugin, referred to as “the secret caretaker of Putin’s wealth” spent a record $20M on a single Stradivarius violin, among other high-value antique instrument purchases. Evan Gerskovich of the Moscow Times spoke with Roldugin about his foundation, which made the purchases and how Russia engages in transparency by way of untouchability.

ImportGenius assisted CNN with an investigation into the use of human hair allegedly sourced from Uighur detainees and manufactured using forced labor. Customs records provided by ImportGenius identified US imports of hair products from Xinjiang manufacturers tied to forced labor.

Russian customs records provided to Bloomberg by ImportGenius identified shipments of $315M in cash from Russian banks to Venezuela despite US sanctions. The data included specific denominations of bills and overall values of shipments - providing a window into a world of cargo planes carrying pallets of cash.

Immediately after Epstein’s arrest but before his death, an ImportGenius investigation identified all US imports attributable to Epstein’s companies and properties. Reporting by The Intercept connected several of these shipments and their timing with the suspicious lack of documentary evidence around Epstein’s prosecutions.