State of U.S. Imports: Q2 2021
U.S. ocean import activity from April 2021 through June 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 2,905,897 shipments in Q2 2021, up 6.7% versus Q1 2021 and up 25.1% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other cer… (HS 690510), with 30,493 shipments (+80.2% quarter-over-quarter).
- The fastest-growing high-volume category was Nonadjustable, and parts thereof (HS 820411), up 167.6% from the prior quarter to 24,165 shipments.
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Prepared glues and other prepared adhesives, other (HS 350699), down 38.8% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 1,041,986 shipments — 35.9% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LOS ANGELES, CA, receiving 571,411 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was IKEA SUPPLY AG, with 38,488 shipments.
Shipments
2,905,897
Containers
3,878,805
Quarter over quarter
+6.7%
vs Q1 2021
Year over year
+25.1%
vs Q2 2020
Monthly shipment volume
922,615April 2021
985,579May 2021
997,703June 2021
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other ceramic constructional goods, roofing tiles690510 | 30,493 | +80.2% |
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 28,711 | +0.5% |
| 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 | 24,546 | +49.6% |
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 24,165 | +167.6% |
| Furniture of plastics940370 | 23,951 | +14.1% |
| Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, sparkling wine220410 | 20,764 | +16.5% |
| Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear640411 | 20,139 | +101.0% |
| HS 940140940140 | 19,371 | +17.3% |
| Not knitted or crocheted, of cotton630492 | 18,543 | +37.5% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 18,255 | +8.2% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 24,165 | +167.6% |
| Grape juice (including grape must), other200969 | 5,493 | +134.0% |
| Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear640411 | 20,139 | +101.0% |
| Fireworks, signaling flares, rain rockets, fog signals and other pyrotechnic articles, fireworks360410 | 6,345 | +86.5% |
| Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other ceramic constructional goods, roofing tiles690510 | 30,493 | +80.2% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Prepared glues and other prepared adhesives, other350699 | 6,434 | -38.8% |
| Trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts of cotton620462 | 3,586 | -27.3% |
| Diodes, other than photosensitive or light-emitting diodes (LED)854110 | 9,067 | -25.9% |
| HS 940520940520 | 4,276 | -23.1% |
| On a base of woven textile fabric only680510 | 4,018 | -19.6% |
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 | 1,041,986 | -6.3% |
| GERMANY | 177,018 | +37.8% |
| ITALY | 156,164 | +71.5% |
| INDIA | 134,054 | +10.6% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 108,816 | +0.2% |
| VIET NAM | 105,956 | +2.9% |
| TAIWAN | 104,615 | +27.7% |
| JAPAN | 89,773 | +22.8% |
| BELGIUM | 69,140 | +25.8% |
| SPAIN | 60,822 | +34.5% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 571,411 | -7.0% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 525,144 | +15.9% |
| LONG BEACH, CA | 431,846 | -1.3% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 162,819 | +18.8% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 160,868 | +3.6% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 145,066 | +34.6% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 138,363 | +25.9% |
| TACOMA, WA | 130,750 | +5.9% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 110,289 | +21.8% |
| OAKLAND, CA | 83,523 | +9.4% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 38,488 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 14,011 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 13,238 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 9,452 |
| 3PL LOGISTICS INC | 9,052 |
| WALMART INC | 7,529 |
| SCHAEFFLER GROUP USA INC | 6,965 |
| CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC | 6,085 |
| SOL GROUP | 5,365 |
| ADIDAS INTERNATIONAL TRADE AG | 4,369 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| JENNY | 37,398 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 12,785 |
| EVER LOYAL GLOBAL CO LTD | 10,258 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 9,943 |
| SHENZHEN YITONGGUAN LOGISTICS TECHN | 6,497 |
| THAI SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 5,957 |
| HONG KONG CHIN HOI WING WAN LIMITED | 5,707 |
| FUZHOU CHEN SHUOIMPORTEXP CO LTD | 4,507 |
| XYLEM EUROPE GMBH | 3,699 |
| BEIJING JINTAI YONG HUI E COMMERCE WAN HONG LU | 3,696 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between April 2021 and June 2021. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q1 2021, year-over-year compares Q2 2020. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q2 2021 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.