Since Universal Cargo Management posts a blog every Tuesday and Thursday, I find myself writing an International Shipping Thanksgiving Day Blog every year.
As you can imagine with such a perfect pairing, it’s wildly popular. Who isn’t thinking about international shipping on Thanksgiving, after all?
Two years ago I posted fun turkey facts that have absolutely nothing to with exporting and importing to and from Turkey. This year, I bring those fun turkey facts back, but this time I mix in data about Turkey’s global business. That’s right, because everyone was begging for it.
Yes, these Turkey Facts are our way of saying “Happy Thanksgiving!” In honor of Turkey Day, here we go:
No, these are not about importing and exporting Turkish goods. But if you want a rate quote for shipping to or from Turkey, click here.
The average American eats between 16 and 18 pounds of turkey every year. (WHSV)
Considering how many Americans are vegetarians, some of us must really be downing a lot of turkey meat! At least, I hope it’s meat.
As of last year (2012), the U.S. is ranked the 9th highest country in imports from Turkey. (TurkStat)
9th place is the best we can do? Come on, shippers. Pick your products to import from Turkey and UCM will set up the international shipping so we can at least get the bronze metal this year.
Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States. (WHSV)
I’m not sure if this means Californians eat more turkey than the rest of the country or if people in California are bigger than the people living in other states.
The U.S. is ranked 4th in countries Turkey imports from. (TurkStat)
That’s better than 9th, but still not even a bronze metal.
Getting the larger end of a turkey’s wishbone cannot help you in global business.
But it can help you take care of business on the food stuck in your teeth.
3.7% of Turkey’s exports went to the U.S. last year. (TurkStat)
Germany had the largest share, hogging 8.6% of Turkey’s exports.
About 5 billion pounds of ready-to-cook turkey meat are sold in the U.S. annually, says Joel Brandenberger, president of the Washington-based National Turkey Federation. (CNN)
Almost makes you wish you were in the turkey business… Almost.
6% of Turkey’s imports come from the U.S. last year. (TurkStat)
China edged us out of the bronze medal on this one. It’s like Olympics gymnastics all over again.
The Turkey Trot ballroom dance got named after the short, jerky steps a turkey makes. (Infoplease)
And few dances carry such grace and dignity.
Turkey’s exports to the U.S. grew by 22.3% last year from the previous one. (TurkStat)
I’ve got nothing interesting to say about that factoid.
About 280 million turkeys are sold for Thanksgiving celebrations in the U.S.(WHSV)
Turkey trafficking has almost reached epidemic levels.
Turkey imports from the U.S. shrunk by 11.9% last year. (TurkStat)
Maybe if we’d tried a little harder to maintain our exports to Turkey, China wouldn’t have edged us out of the bronze last year.
Turkeys can run 20 miles per hour and fly 55 miles per hour. (Aristotle.net)
If they were a little smarter, turkeys could be trained to ship themselves to Thanksgiving dinners. But then they might know better than to show up.
They don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Turkey.
They would have about as much reason to celebrate to celebrate this American holiday in Turkey as they would to celebrate the 4th of July.
No turkey anywhere calls Thanksgiving “Turkey Day”.
Don’t get so caught up in the turkey you forget to be thankful for the blessings in your life.
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
