Trade Data Comparison

Simplify Trade Data Research with ImportKey

Compare price, plan flexibility, search access, data coverage, downloads and contact information.

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ImportKey vs PIERS

Comparison ImportKey PIERS
Price Starts at $29.99/month, offering an accessible U.S. trade-data option. This gives businesses a lower-cost way to begin shipment research. A free 1-month trial is also available on the Monthly Enterprise plan. Pricing requires contacting sales. The comparison does not present a simple public starting price.
Countries Available U.S. import/export data is included, with Mexico Sea & Air available as a $9.99/month add-on. This lets customers expand coverage when Mexico data is needed. Global coverage requires upgrading to a separate, higher-cost plan tier rather than a low-cost add-on.
Plan Terms All ImportKey plans can be cancelled anytime. This gives customers flexibility to change their subscription as usage changes. Long-term contracts are required. This creates a stronger commitment at signup.
Search Results Unlimited General Search browsing is available on every plan, with Advanced Search covering up to 50 companies/day on Personal, 100/day on Business, and unlimited companies on Enterprise. Search results are limited according to the plan. Access therefore depends on the selected subscription level.
Downloads Downloads are unlimited across Personal, Business and Enterprise plans, with each export holding up to 20,000 shipment records per CSV/XLS file. Download access varies by subscription. The available export capacity depends on the selected service.
Data Updates U.S. import data is updated daily, while export data is updated monthly. This helps users work with current import shipment records. Update frequency varies by dataset and source. The comparison does not specify one common update cadence.
Contact Information Buyer/shipper email, phone and address can be available through company profiles. These fields can help users move from shipment research to company outreach. Contact details are taken from bills of lading or third-party sources. Availability can therefore depend on the underlying record.
Supply-Chain Analysis Users can visualize buyer and supplier relationships and analyze shipment trends over time. This adds relationship and trend analysis to the underlying shipment records. Primarily focused on trade and shipment data research. The comparison positions PIERS more around its underlying trade-data offering.
Support Live chat, email and phone support are included across all plans. This gives customers a direct support channel at every subscription level. Customer support is handled through its service organization. Specific support-channel details vary by service arrangement.
Frequently Asked Questions

Read some regularly asked questions

Where does the data come from?
Shipment manifest data comes from bills of lading for shipments entering or leaving the United States through U.S. Customs. ImportKey organizes the available bill-of-lading information into searchable trade records.
Which plan is best for me?
ImportKey offers Personal, Business and Enterprise plans. Personal includes 1 user licence with up to 50 Advanced Search company lookups per day, Business includes 3 user licences with up to 100 Advanced Search company lookups per day, and Enterprise includes 10 user licences with unlimited Advanced Search. General Search browsing and file downloads are unlimited on every plan, with each export holding up to 20,000 shipment records per CSV/XLS file.
Why are a few shipment records duplicated?
Similar records can appear when multiple House BOLs or Simple BOLs are linked to a Master BOL, when shipment records are updated, or when several LCL shipments share the same BOL number and product details.
What can I search for?
Search for products, company names and addresses, BOL numbers, HS codes, ports of lading, suppliers and buyers using ImportKey's trade-data search tools.
What are the key fields and descriptions?
Arrival date — date received at a U.S. port · Cargo description — goods shipped · Quantity — number of items · Weight — shipment weight including packaging · BOL — Master Bill of Lading number · Consignee — buyer · Shipper — party that shipped the goods.
Why does the bill of lading have blank consignee and shipper fields?
Some companies petition the U.S. government to remove their names, addresses and overseas suppliers from public bill-of-lading records. In some cases, company details may still appear in the cargo description.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my account anytime?
Yes. Accounts can be upgraded or downgraded at any time. Upgrades are refunded on a prorated basis, while a downgrade takes effect at the next monthly billing cycle.
How do I find a supplier's contact info?
Supplier records may include phone numbers or email addresses available in the trade data. When details are missing, searching the company name, address and name variations on search engines can help identify additional contact information.
Why can't I find a company I am looking for?
A company may import under a subsidiary or related company name, use a third-party export agent, or ship only by air. Try searching the company address and related company names to broaden the search.
Why choose ImportKey over this competitor?
ImportKey combines $29.99/month starting pricing, daily U.S. import updates, advanced search, buyer and supplier intelligence, company contacts, live chat, email and phone support, unlimited monthly exports of up to 20,000 shipment records per CSV/XLS file, and a free 1-month trial on the Monthly Enterprise plan.
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