State of U.S. Imports: Q1 2021
U.S. ocean import activity from January 2021 through March 2021, 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 2,723,570 shipments in Q1 2021, down 1.5% versus Q4 2020 and up 46.3% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Other wooden furniture (HS 940360), with 28,582 shipments (+10.0% quarter-over-quarter).
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Incomplete movements, assembled (HS 911012), down 65.1% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 1,112,152 shipments — 40.8% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LOS ANGELES, CA, receiving 614,110 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was 3PL LOGISTICS INC, with 44,770 shipments.
Shipments
2,723,570
Containers
3,646,036
Quarter over quarter
-1.5%
vs Q4 2020
Year over year
+46.3%
vs Q1 2020
Monthly shipment volume
931,273January 2021
838,643February 2021
953,654March 2021
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 28,582 | +10.0% |
| HS 970110970110 | 25,902 | +152.2% |
| Furniture of plastics940370 | 20,997 | +2.8% |
| Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, sparkling wine220410 | 17,830 | +33.4% |
| Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other ceramic constructional goods, roofing tiles690510 | 16,921 | +3.2% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 16,864 | -15.6% |
| HS 940140940140 | 16,508 | +0.3% |
| 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 | 16,408 | -10.6% |
| Incomplete movements, assembled911012 | 15,845 | -65.1% |
| Other seats, with wooden frames, upholstered940161 | 14,801 | -5.6% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| HS 910112910112 | 7,659 | +249.7% |
| Grapes, fresh or dried, fresh080610 | 8,491 | +153.8% |
| HS 970110970110 | 25,902 | +152.2% |
| Seeds, fruits and spores of a kind used for sowing, other120999 | 4,257 | +109.3% |
| Ice skates and roller skates, including skating boots with skates attached950670 | 5,046 | +108.7% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Incomplete movements, assembled911012 | 15,845 | -65.1% |
| Pasta, whether or not cooked or stuffed (with meat or other substances) or otherwise prepared, such as spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, lasagna, gnocchi, ravioli, cannelloni, other pasta190230 | 5,509 | -51.5% |
| HS 950350950350 | 3,508 | -45.5% |
| Mattress supports, sleeping bags940430 | 3,437 | -39.9% |
| Toothbrushes, including dental-plate brushes960321 | 9,527 | -36.8% |
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 | 1,112,152 | -6.2% |
| GERMANY | 128,462 | -4.6% |
| INDIA | 121,165 | +5.4% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 108,583 | +5.8% |
| VIET NAM | 102,946 | +9.8% |
| ITALY | 91,079 | -2.2% |
| TAIWAN | 81,911 | -2.7% |
| JAPAN | 73,126 | -3.6% |
| BELGIUM | 54,962 | -3.1% |
| THAILAND | 53,068 | +18.1% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 614,110 | -2.9% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 452,927 | -3.0% |
| LONG BEACH, CA | 437,615 | -9.2% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 155,333 | +4.6% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 137,050 | -3.5% |
| TACOMA, WA | 123,516 | +5.7% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 109,898 | -0.5% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 107,812 | +4.2% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 90,548 | +9.8% |
| MIAMI, FL | 80,903 | +2.6% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| 3PL LOGISTICS INC | 44,770 |
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 29,854 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 13,594 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 12,136 |
| SOL GROUP | 7,808 |
| WALMART INC | 7,641 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 7,632 |
| SCHAEFFLER GROUP USA INC | 4,935 |
| ROOMS TO GO | 4,493 |
| AT HOME PROCUREMENT INC | 4,371 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| MR LEE | 41,965 |
| WANG ZHANG JIANG JIAANDA | 40,678 |
| WENXUAN HE | 37,689 |
| JENNY | 24,734 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 10,621 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 9,444 |
| DAVID ZHANG | 8,698 |
| THAI SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 4,739 |
| U FREIGHT | 4,418 |
| UNION DE BANANEROS ECUATORIANOS S A | 4,106 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between January 2021 and March 2021. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q4 2020, year-over-year compares Q1 2020. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q1 2021 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.