State of U.S. Imports: Q2 2020
U.S. ocean import activity from April 2020 through June 2020, from U.S. Customs bill of lading records.
Sourced from U.S. Customs bill of lading data · Updated monthly · Data through August 2026
Key findings
- U.S. ocean imports totaled 2,322,114 shipments in Q2 2020, up 24.8% versus Q1 2020.
- The highest-volume import category was Toilet or facial tissue stock, towel or napkin stock and similar paper of a kind used for… (HS 480300), with 29,622 shipments (+1744.5% quarter-over-quarter).
- The fastest-growing high-volume category was Toilet or facial tissue stock, towel or napkin stock and similar paper of a kind used for… (HS 480300), up 1744.5% from the prior quarter to 29,622 shipments.
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Wooden furniture of a kind used in the bedroom (HS 940350), down 45.6% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 1,109,779 shipments — 47.8% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was OAKLAND, CA, receiving 488,908 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY, with 13,466 shipments.
Monthly shipment volume
Top import categories
Fastest growing
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden furniture of a kind used in the bedroom940350 | 4,187 | -45.6% |
| Personal weighing machines, including baby scales842310 | 3,889 | -42.8% |
| Not knitted or crocheted, of cotton630492 | 7,605 | -39.0% |
| Other parts and accessories of bodies (including cabs), other870829 | 2,608 | -39.0% |
| Parts of air conditioning machines, comprising a motor-driven fan and elements for changing the temperature and humidity, including those machines in which the humidity cannot be separately regulated841590 | 10,143 | -35.1% |
Among categories with at least 1,000 shipments this quarter and 500 the prior quarter, across the 100 highest-volume HS codes.
Top origin countries
| Country | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| CHINA | 1,109,779 | +116.7% |
| GERMANY | 109,934 | -3.4% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 74,252 | -5.9% |
| TAIWAN | 72,826 | +4.2% |
| ITALY | 69,935 | -6.1% |
| VIET NAM | 64,718 | -12.8% |
| JAPAN | 60,757 | -8.5% |
| INDIA | 51,069 | -40.6% |
| BELGIUM | 49,466 | -3.7% |
| HONG KONG | 43,579 | +23.8% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| OAKLAND, CA | 488,908 | +739.8% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 344,761 | -2.2% |
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 341,397 | +19.6% |
| LONG BEACH, CA | 327,984 | +26.6% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 104,995 | -6.9% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 104,221 | -9.5% |
| TACOMA, WA | 90,093 | -2.2% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 89,329 | -8.3% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 72,621 | -3.8% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 63,300 | +25.3% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 13,466 |
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 12,163 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 7,224 |
| WALMART INC | 5,597 |
| SCHAEFFLER GROUP USA INC | 3,902 |
| SOL GROUP | 3,779 |
| MERCURIUS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED | 2,887 |
| ADIDAS CANADA DISTRIBUTION CENTRE | 2,788 |
| TO THE ORDER OF | 2,702 |
| CHIQUITA FRESH NORTH AMERICA LLC | 2,510 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| WANG ZHANG JIANG FIRST | 128,353 |
| FOREVER LOGISTICS SHENZHEN CO L | 54,985 |
| SHENZHEN GUANGCHI LOGISTICS CO LT | 41,648 |
| SHENZHEN GLOBAL LEADER SUPPLY CHAIN | 30,640 |
| HANGZHOU FAR INTERNATIONAL LOGISITI | 22,033 |
| CHENHAO | 5,773 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 5,734 |
| CHEN HAO | 5,572 |
| WINSWAY ABGULP | 5,507 |
| UNION DE BANANEROS ECUATORIANOS S A | 4,102 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between April 2020 and June 2020. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q1 2020, year-over-year compares Q2 2019. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q2 2020 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.