State of U.S. Imports: Q3 2021
U.S. ocean import activity from July 2021 through September 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 3,076,632 shipments in Q3 2021, up 5.9% versus Q2 2021 and up 20.0% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other cer… (HS 690510), with 32,170 shipments (+5.5% quarter-over-quarter).
- The fastest-growing high-volume category was Articles for Christmas festivities and parts and accessories thereof (HS 950510), up 179.8% from the prior quarter to 6,896 shipments.
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear (HS 640411), down 26.6% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 1,162,260 shipments — 37.8% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LOS ANGELES, CA, receiving 558,994 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was IKEA SUPPLY AG, with 32,856 shipments.
Shipments
3,076,632
Containers
4,033,568
Quarter over quarter
+5.9%
vs Q2 2021
Year over year
+20.0%
vs Q3 2020
Monthly shipment volume
1,049,843July 2021
1,032,193August 2021
994,596September 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 | 32,170 | +5.5% |
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 28,424 | -1.0% |
| HS 966505966505 | 23,423 | N/A |
| Furniture of plastics940370 | 22,534 | -5.9% |
| 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 | 22,192 | -9.6% |
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 21,817 | -9.7% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 19,112 | +4.7% |
| Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, sparkling wine220410 | 17,980 | -13.4% |
| HS 940140940140 | 17,573 | -9.3% |
| Other seats, with wooden frames, upholstered940161 | 15,105 | -5.9% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Articles for Christmas festivities and parts and accessories thereof950510 | 6,896 | +179.8% |
| Sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, waistcoats (vests) and similar articles, knitted or crocheted of wool611011 | 6,281 | +116.3% |
| Parts and accessories of machines of heading 8445 or of their auxiliary machinery, card clothing844831 | 9,433 | +79.9% |
| HS 950349950349 | 10,018 | +71.9% |
| Crude or roughly trimmed251611 | 9,455 | +58.5% |
Steepest declines
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 | 1,162,260 | +11.5% |
| GERMANY | 180,921 | +2.2% |
| ITALY | 132,555 | -15.1% |
| INDIA | 130,370 | -2.7% |
| VIET NAM | 125,555 | +18.5% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 110,982 | +2.0% |
| TAIWAN | 96,726 | -7.5% |
| JAPAN | 89,090 | -0.8% |
| BELGIUM | 74,383 | +7.6% |
| HONG KONG | 61,730 | +42.1% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 558,994 | -2.2% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 539,957 | +2.8% |
| LONG BEACH, CA | 511,722 | +18.5% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 191,612 | +17.7% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 182,167 | +13.2% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 152,530 | +5.1% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 145,650 | +5.3% |
| TACOMA, WA | 142,831 | +9.2% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 106,967 | -3.0% |
| OAKLAND, CA | 80,671 | -3.4% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 32,856 |
| NIKE USA INC | 26,784 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 14,861 |
| INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE | 14,701 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 13,382 |
| WALMART INC | 9,548 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 8,876 |
| HOME DEPOT USA INC | 7,501 |
| SCHAEFFLER GROUP USA INC | 7,014 |
| AT HOME PROCUREMENT INC | 5,344 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| JENNY | 21,569 |
| EVER LOYAL GLOBAL CO LTD | 12,137 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 12,033 |
| FUZHOU CHEN SHOUIMPORTEXP CO LTD | 11,713 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 10,759 |
| JIUJIANG ZHUOJIN TRADE CO LTD | 5,468 |
| THAI SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 4,832 |
| INTERGEARS INTERNATIONAL LIMITIED | 4,792 |
| MS HE | 4,672 |
| HONGKONG CWEILI GROUP | 4,262 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between July 2021 and September 2021. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q2 2021, year-over-year compares Q3 2020. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q3 2021 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.