ImportGenius is a U.S. Customs Database search company and it looks like they have a "Genius" in marketing. On a new blog entry on their site they analyzed U.S. Customs data to identify the possible shipments of 3G iPhones from Asia to the United States.

Apparently Apple important millions of units of a product declared as "electric computers" starting in mid-March from Quanta. If it is the 3G iPhone is just a guess, it could also be a new product category - maybe the rumored Apple MID.
ImportGenius sells access to search of the Customs Automated Manifest System (AMS).
I could not actually find any information on why it is allowed to search these shipping records for competitive intelligence.
More details on the ImportGenius site. Via MacRumors.