Use case: competitor tracking
Competitor tracking with customs trade data
CargoFax competitor tracking shows what your competitors import, from which suppliers and origins, in what volumes, and how that changes over time. Find competitors' shipments in Atlas Explorer, keep them in Vault, where new records are added as each market updates, and get a Vault email update when a followed company ships again. US bill of lading records update daily with about a one-day lag, and Haiti customs records, with weights, bills of lading, containers, vessels, and ports, update weekly.
Last updated:
Step by step
How does competitor tracking work in Atlas?
- 01
Find the competitors.
Search your HS codes in Explorer and rank the importers or exporters by shipments, containers, weight, or declared value.
- 02
Save them to Vault.
Vault keeps each competitor and adds their new records as the market updates.
- 03
Turn on email updates.
Vault emails you when a followed company has a new shipment or a new company appears in your saved HS code searches.
- 04
Read the pattern.
Pivot a competitor's records by supplier, origin, port, or month in Explorer to see who they buy from and how their volumes move.
In the records
What can you learn about a competitor?
| Question | Where in Atlas | Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Who supplies them? | Explorer: shipper or origin on each record | United States (shipper names), every market (origin country) |
| How much do they import? | Explorer: shipments, containers, weight, value | Every market; containers in the United States and Haiti; declared values in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic |
| Which ports and routes do they use? | Explorer: ports of lading and unlading, ports of entry | United States, Haiti |
| When did they last ship? | Vault: saved searches and email updates | Every market, on its update schedule |
| Are new competitors entering? | Vault: new importer in a saved HS code search | Every market |
In practice
Examples by market
- United States: follow three competitors importing furniture (HS 9403) and see each new bill of lading, supplier, and port the day after it is released.
- Haiti: watch every importer of rice (HS 1006) into Port-au-Prince week by week, in tonnes, and see when one changes origin.
- Dominican Republic: compare competitors' declared value per kilogram for vehicle parts (HS 8708), month by month.
Turn the same searches into leads. The HS code and port searches that track competitors also list every active company in your market. Sales and lead generation shows how to rank them, tag them in Contacts, and export them to your CRM.
Need the raw data instead? Teams that want to run competitor tracking in their own systems receive the records in bulk through Files, by FTP or API.
FAQ
Competitor tracking: frequently asked questions
How can I track a competitor's imports?
Search your product's HS codes in Atlas Explorer, find the competitor's records, and save the company to Vault. New records are added as the market updates, and Vault emails you about each new shipment.
Can I see who supplies my competitors?
Yes. US bills of lading name the foreign shipper on each shipment, and every CargoFax market shows the origin country of the goods.
How quickly will I see a competitor's new shipment?
US bill of lading records update daily with about a one-day lag, Haiti and Peru weekly, and the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, and Argentina monthly.
Which markets support competitor tracking?
All eight CargoFax markets: the United States, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru.
Can competitors see that I am tracking them?
No. Vault is a private workspace, and the customs records come from the authorities, not from the companies.
How much does competitor tracking cost?
Atlas plans are monthly or annual and priced by market and team size. See the pricing page or book a demo for a quote.
Keep exploring
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Find the suppliers, buyers, and shipping companies you need to grow your business. CargoFax trade data helps you identify real companies, discover new opportunities, and make your next move with confidence.