8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report: April 19, 2012

(Date of earliest event reported)

EXPEDITORS INTERNATIONAL OF WASHINGTON, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Washington		000-13468		91-1069248
(State or other jurisdiction of		(Commission File No.)	(IRS Employer Identification Number)
incorporation or organization)
1015 Third Avenue, 12th Floor, Seattle, Washington			98104
(Address of principal executive offices)			(Zip Code)
		(206) 674-3400
	(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
		N/A
	(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

The following information is furnished pursuant to Item 2.02, “Results of Operations and Financial Condition.”

On April 19, 2012, Expeditors International of Washington, Inc., a Washington corporation, issued a press release containing earnings guidance. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this report.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) The following items are filed as exhibits to this report:

99.1 Press release, dated April 19, 2012 issued by Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

EXPEDITORS INTERNATIONAL OF WASHINGTON, INC.

April 20, 2012 /s/ BRADLEY S. POWELL

Bradley S. Powell, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

EARNINGS RELEASE

By:    Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.

1015 Third Avenue, Suite 1200

Seattle, Washington 98104

CONTACTS: R. Jordan Gates                Bradley S. Powell

President and Chief Operating Officer    Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(206) 674-3427     (206) 674-3412

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

EXPEDITORS ISSUES EARNINGS GUIDANCE

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - April 19, 2012, Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPD) announced today that preliminary results indicate its first quarter 2012 net earnings attributable to shareholders are expected to fall in the range of $.35 - $.37 per share.^{1, 2} Analysts' estimates for the 2012 first quarter range from $.40 to $.45 per share, with a consensus of $.43.²

“The Company has been very cautionary in its past two earnings releases about the fragility of the global economy and its potential impacts on future results,” said Peter J. Rose, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. We've been saying for over six months now that things in the global economy just didn't seem to us to be as encouraging as a lot of the pundits were projecting. Our preliminary data seems to reveal a trend where existing customers, particularly airfreight customers, are shipping at lower volumes than we experienced during the 2011 first quarter. From our own perspective, as we proceed forward in 2012, we need to be even more aggressive in cost containment and more focused on both expanding our customer base and further extending our business reach with existing customers,” Rose concluded.

Expeditors is a global logistics company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company employs trained professionals in 186 full-service offices and 63 satellite locations located on six continents linked into a seamless worldwide network through an integrated information management system. Services include air and ocean freight forwarding, vendor consolidation, customs clearance, marine insurance, distribution and other value added international logistics services.

Expeditors is scheduled to release its first quarter 2012 results on May 2, 2012, after the market opens.

____________________________

¹Diluted earnings attributable to shareholders per share.

²Inclusive of the €4.14 million ($5.5 million) fine recently levied by the European Commission (EC), as previously announced on March 29, 2012.

Disclaimer on Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain portions of this release contain forward-looking statements which are based on certain assumptions, including finalization of our accounts, and expectations of future events that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including comments on future ability to contain operating costs, expand our customer base and retain existing customers. Actual future results and trends may differ materially from historical results or those projected in any forward-looking statements depending on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, our ability to maintain consistent and stable operating results, future success of our business model, ability to perpetuate profits, changes in customer demand for Expeditors’ services caused by a general economic slow-down, customers’ inventory build-up, decreased consumer confidence, volatility in equity markets, energy prices, political changes, regulatory actions or changes or the unpredictable acts of competitors and other risks, risk factors and uncertainties detailed in our Annual Report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.