State of U.S. Imports: Q1 2023
U.S. ocean import activity from January 2023 through March 2023, 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 2,409,653 shipments in Q1 2023, down 7.4% versus Q4 2022 and down 27.6% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Lavatory seats and covers (HS 392220), with 24,000 shipments (+13.1% quarter-over-quarter).
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Nonadjustable, and parts thereof (HS 820411), down 68.6% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 942,324 shipments — 39.1% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LONG BEACH, CA, receiving 519,576 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was GLOBAL ETRADE SERVICES INC, with 30,025 shipments.
Shipments
2,409,653
Containers
3,143,620
Quarter over quarter
-7.4%
vs Q4 2022
Year over year
-27.6%
vs Q1 2022
Monthly shipment volume
914,358January 2023
699,477February 2023
795,818March 2023
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 24,000 | +13.1% |
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 22,733 | -68.6% |
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 18,705 | -18.9% |
| HS 610311610311 | 18,383 | N/A |
| T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, knitted or crocheted of cotton610910 | 17,236 | +14.0% |
| Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, sparkling wine220410 | 16,819 | +14.9% |
| 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 | 16,009 | -12.9% |
| Any equipment, or any part of equipment, purchased for, or the repair parts or materials employed in, or the expense of repairs made in a foreign country with respect to, a LASH (Lighter Aboard Ship) barge utilized as a cargo container, upon first arrival of such barge in any port of the United States981800 | 15,351 | -5.4% |
| Not knitted or crocheted, of cotton630492 | 14,045 | -14.6% |
| HS 850920850920 | 13,571 | +354.9% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| HS 850920850920 | 13,571 | +354.9% |
| Artificial flowers, foliage and fruit and parts thereof of other materials670290 | 10,332 | +293.3% |
| Hoopwood, coniferous440410 | 6,271 | +143.6% |
| Grapes, fresh or dried, fresh080610 | 11,956 | +116.9% |
| Seeds, fruits and spores of a kind used for sowing, other120999 | 5,045 | +109.5% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 22,733 | -68.6% |
| Crude or roughly trimmed251611 | 2,937 | -45.8% |
| 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 | 4,238 | -42.9% |
| Cranberries, blueberries and other fruits of the genus Vaccinium081040 | 3,092 | -40.7% |
| Suit-type jackets and blazers of cotton610432 | 3,069 | -31.6% |
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 | 942,324 | -3.2% |
| INDIA | 122,429 | +1.0% |
| GERMANY | 119,324 | -11.4% |
| VIET NAM | 93,756 | -8.4% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 91,101 | -4.9% |
| ITALY | 83,816 | -12.1% |
| JAPAN | 66,339 | -19.4% |
| TAIWAN | 61,782 | -22.9% |
| BELGIUM | 47,317 | -19.1% |
| THAILAND | 44,975 | -12.8% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LONG BEACH, CA | 519,576 | +10.7% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 394,369 | -15.7% |
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 378,245 | -9.1% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 155,453 | -7.3% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 134,575 | -18.0% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 104,950 | -15.3% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 103,438 | -17.1% |
| TACOMA, WA | 85,671 | -5.4% |
| MIAMI, FL | 77,211 | +1.1% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 65,152 | -9.2% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| GLOBAL ETRADE SERVICES INC | 30,025 |
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 29,728 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 15,200 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 10,167 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 8,561 |
| WALMART INC | 7,744 |
| SOL GROUP | 7,736 |
| WAL MART INC | 5,664 |
| RTG FURNITURE CORP | 4,857 |
| DEL MONTE FRESH PRODUCE N A INC | 4,794 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| CNE EXPRESS CO | 106,622 |
| FANYF | 28,087 |
| JENNY | 26,821 |
| YANWEN | 26,566 |
| EVER LOYAL GLOBAL CO | 12,970 |
| GUANGZHOU FIVE SIX TECHNOLOGY CO | 10,868 |
| DONGGUAN DEYING BOOKBINDING CO LT | 10,701 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 10,319 |
| OH_AMI INC | 9,245 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 6,334 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between January 2023 and March 2023. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q4 2022, year-over-year compares Q1 2022. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q1 2023 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.