# US Import Trade / BOL Scraper - Trade Aggregates & Soft-Fail (`maydit/us-import-trade-bol-scraper`) Actor

US import trade intelligence scaffold. Optional Census Bureau HS import aggregates with a free Census API key. True bill-of-lading scrapers are stubbed with kill notes (commercial ToS).

- **URL**: https://apify.com/maydit/us-import-trade-bol-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Brandt May](https://apify.com/maydit) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.80 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## US Import Trade / BOL Scraper

> **Honest scope:** this Actor returns **public trade aggregates**, not bills of lading.
> Default source is **UN Comtrade public preview** (keyless). Optional **Census Bureau** HS
> import aggregates need a free Census API key. True BOL / ImportYeti-class scrapers are
> intentionally **not implemented** (commercial ToS / anti-bot) and remain kill-noted.

### Defaults (no paid keys)

| Input | Default | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| `sources` | `["comtrade"]` | Keyless UN Comtrade preview |
| `reporterCode` | `842` (USA) | Comtrade reporter |
| `cmdCode` | `TOTAL` | World aggregate; when `maxItems` > 1 also expands a few HS2 chapters |
| `censusApiKey` | empty | Census source skipped unless you supply a free key |

Without any key you still get real Comtrade aggregate row(s). Census is soft-fail / optional only.

### What you will **not** get

- Individual bills of lading, consignee lists, or vessel manifests
- ImportYeti / Panjiva / commercial BOL HTML scrapes

### Soft-fail

When every selected source fails and `softFail` is true (default), one diagnostic `kill_note` row is written so empty scaffolding never silently passes fleet health checks.

# Actor input Schema

## `sources` (type: `array`):

Public sources. Default comtrade is keyless.

## `reporterCode` (type: `string`):

842 = United States.

## `period` (type: `string`):

Four-digit year. Empty = previous calendar year.

## `flowCode` (type: `string`):

UN Comtrade trade flow code (e.g. M for imports).

## `cmdCode` (type: `string`):

Commodity / HS code filter for Comtrade queries.

## `partnerCode` (type: `string`):

Partner country/area code for Comtrade queries.

## `censusApiKey` (type: `string`):

Free key from api.census.gov — only for census source.

## `censusTime` (type: `string`):

Census month period (YYYY-MM) for HS aggregate pulls.

## `hsCode` (type: `string`):

Census HS commodity code filter.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum dataset rows to emit before stopping.

## `maxRunSeconds` (type: `integer`):

Hard wall-clock budget for the run in seconds.

## `softFail` (type: `boolean`):

When true, emit a diagnostic row instead of failing hard on blocked sources.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "sources": [
    "comtrade"
  ],
  "reporterCode": "842",
  "period": "2023",
  "flowCode": "M",
  "cmdCode": "TOTAL",
  "partnerCode": "0",
  "censusTime": "2024-12",
  "hsCode": "85",
  "maxItems": 50,
  "maxRunSeconds": 240,
  "softFail": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Census HS aggregate import rows when keyed; otherwise diagnostic / kill-note rows.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Totals and diagnostics.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("maydit/us-import-trade-bol-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("maydit/us-import-trade-bol-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call maydit/us-import-trade-bol-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,maydit/us-import-trade-bol-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/FSfp9bNavLJBfY9rX/builds/cj1VK0rQWbHv8cZh2/openapi.json