State of U.S. Imports: Q4 2021
U.S. ocean import activity from October 2021 through December 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 3,314,484 shipments in Q4 2021, up 7.7% versus Q3 2021 and up 19.9% year-over-year.
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Parts and accessories of machines of heading 8445 or of their auxiliary machinery, card c… (HS 844831), down 35.8% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 1,444,066 shipments — 43.6% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LONG BEACH, CA, receiving 738,012 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was IKEA SUPPLY AG, with 30,311 shipments.
Shipments
3,314,484
Containers
4,261,077
Quarter over quarter
+7.7%
vs Q3 2021
Year over year
+19.9%
vs Q4 2020
Monthly shipment volume
1,087,920October 2021
1,083,137November 2021
1,143,427December 2021
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| HS 950350950350 | 65,773 | +1885.9% |
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 46,707 | +114.1% |
| T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, knitted or crocheted of cotton610910 | 31,808 | +163.2% |
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 24,185 | -14.9% |
| Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other ceramic constructional goods, roofing tiles690510 | 23,837 | -25.9% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 23,435 | +22.6% |
| Furniture of plastics940370 | 21,025 | -6.7% |
| Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear640411 | 19,614 | +32.7% |
| 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 | 19,137 | -13.8% |
| HS 950349950349 | 18,126 | +80.9% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| HS 950350950350 | 65,773 | +1885.9% |
| Women's or girls' blouses, shirts and shirt-blouses of cotton620630 | 7,287 | +222.6% |
| T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, knitted or crocheted of cotton610910 | 31,808 | +163.2% |
| Retreaded or used pneumatic tires of rubber, other401290 | 5,691 | +146.0% |
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 46,707 | +114.1% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Parts and accessories of machines of heading 8445 or of their auxiliary machinery, card clothing844831 | 6,058 | -35.8% |
| Wooden furniture of a kind used in the bedroom940350 | 5,903 | -31.4% |
| Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other ceramic constructional goods, roofing tiles690510 | 23,837 | -25.9% |
| Personal weighing machines, including baby scales842310 | 8,594 | -21.8% |
| Other glassware of lead crystal701391 | 7,855 | -19.7% |
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 | 1,444,066 | +24.2% |
| GERMANY | 159,087 | -12.1% |
| INDIA | 150,891 | +15.7% |
| ITALY | 120,216 | -9.3% |
| TAIWAN | 110,263 | +14.0% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 109,346 | -1.5% |
| VIET NAM | 91,981 | -26.7% |
| JAPAN | 77,263 | -13.3% |
| BELGIUM | 70,205 | -5.6% |
| THAILAND | 62,481 | +3.9% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LONG BEACH, CA | 738,012 | +44.2% |
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 556,754 | -0.4% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 546,725 | +1.3% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 179,357 | -1.5% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 178,763 | -6.7% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 160,415 | +5.2% |
| TACOMA, WA | 149,544 | +4.7% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 141,909 | -2.6% |
| NEW YORK, NY | 87,993 | +22.0% |
| OAKLAND, CA | 85,380 | +5.8% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 30,311 |
| NIKE USA INC | 17,761 |
| LG SOURCING INC | 17,117 |
| INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE | 14,313 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 12,689 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 10,676 |
| WALMART INC | 9,634 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 8,438 |
| AT HOME PROCUREMENT INC | 6,542 |
| WAL MART INC | 5,167 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| YOUTOOZ | 59,012 |
| ZOUJUN | 49,354 |
| QIANSI INTERNATIONAL CO LTD | 44,323 |
| CNE EXPRESS CO | 30,685 |
| DUAN X | 29,544 |
| JENNY | 17,738 |
| FANYF | 17,531 |
| FLYTE EXPRESS | 14,380 |
| INTERGEARS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED | 13,633 |
| EVER LOYAL GLOBAL CO LTD | 12,902 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between October 2021 and December 2021. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q3 2021, year-over-year compares Q4 2020. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q4 2021 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.