General imports vs. imports for consumption
The two series often look similar but answer different questions. Sauna Import publishes both rather than silently choosing one.
Short answer
General imports measure merchandise arriving into U.S. customs territory, including goods entering bonded warehouses. Imports for consumption measure goods entering directly for consumption plus withdrawals from bonded warehouses for consumption.
Why the numbers can differ
A good can arrive in the United States and enter a bonded warehouse before it is entered for consumption. That timing can place the same economic movement into different months depending on which series is used.
Which measure should you use?
If the research question is broadly about merchandise arriving in the United States, general imports are often the clearer starting point. If the question is about merchandise entering U.S. consumption, the consumption series may be more appropriate. The correct choice depends on the analysis.
How Sauna Import handles it
The main chart uses general imports for consistency, while the dataset retains both fields. The table on the trade data page shows them side by side for the latest month.
general_imports and consumption_imports are monthly values in U.S. dollars; general_ytd and consumption_ytd retain Census year-to-date values where supplied.