Methodology & Data Transparency

SourceLucid is built on official public data. Here's exactly how it works — and what it cannot do.

Data Sources

U.S. Census International Trade API

Monthly U.S. imports by HS code and destination state. Fields include import value, consumption value, CIF landed cost, freight charges, customs district, quantity units, country of origin, and calculated duty.

api.census.gov/data/timeseries/intltrade/imports/hs

USITC HTS Reststop API

Current Harmonized Tariff Schedule duty rates by HTS code. Free, no authentication required.

hts.usitc.gov/reststop

UN Comtrade (optional)

Global trade mirror data for contextualizing U.S. import trends against worldwide demand.

comtradeapi.un.org

Gemini AI

Keyword expansion, category interpretation, opportunity summaries, and supplier research guidance.

makersuite.google.com

Opportunity Scoring

Each HS code category receives a 0–100 opportunity score based on six positive factors and two penalties:

Import Growth (0–25 pts) — 3-year CAGR + momentum

Value-to-Weight (0–20 pts) — $/kg FBA economics signal

Country Diversification (0–20 pts) — HHI concentration index

Market Size (0–15 pts) — Log-normalized import value

Category Fit (0–10 pts) — Keyword match confidence

Rising Country Bonus (0–10 pts) — Vietnam/Taiwan/Mexico/India

China Risk Penalty (0–15 pts) — Higher China share = more penalty

Tariff Penalty (0–10 pts) — Effective duty rate burden

What SourceLucid Does

Identifies fast-growing import categories by HS code
Shows which countries supply each product category
Tracks China concentration and diversification trends
Calculates value-to-weight as an FBA economics proxy
Provides tariff exposure estimates from USITC data
Generates AI-powered supplier and brand research directions
Scores and ranks categories for import opportunity potential

What SourceLucid Does NOT Do

Identify exact factories or manufacturer names
Reveal exact brand-to-supplier relationships
Provide legal, customs, or tariff advice
Guarantee product profitability or Amazon success
Replace due diligence on suppliers
Show individual company import records (requires ImportYeti/Panjiva)

Important Disclaimer

All analysis is category-level public trade data combined with AI-generated research directions. Supplier names, brand relationships, and profitability claims are research suggestions only. Always verify HS classifications with a customs broker, validate suppliers independently, and calculate landed costs before placing orders.