State of U.S. Imports: Q4 2023
U.S. ocean import activity from October 2023 through December 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 2,447,227 shipments in Q4 2023, down 7.9% versus Q3 2023 and down 5.9% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Other wooden furniture (HS 940360), with 20,991 shipments (+3.1% quarter-over-quarter).
- The fastest-growing high-volume category was Mattress supports, sleeping bags (HS 940430), up 129.3% from the prior quarter to 5,963 shipments.
- 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 49.8% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 981,090 shipments — 40.1% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LONG BEACH, CA, receiving 459,129 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was IKEA SUPPLY AG, with 35,883 shipments.
Shipments
2,447,227
Containers
3,227,513
Quarter over quarter
-7.9%
vs Q3 2023
Year over year
-5.9%
vs Q4 2022
Monthly shipment volume
893,111October 2023
801,116November 2023
753,000December 2023
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 20,991 | +3.1% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 19,515 | -4.9% |
| Other seats, with wooden frames, upholstered940161 | 16,343 | +10.2% |
| Teleferics, chair lifts, ski draglines842860 | 16,321 | +17.2% |
| HS 940140940140 | 15,537 | +19.5% |
| 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 | 15,252 | -16.7% |
| Furniture of plastics940370 | 15,033 | -0.4% |
| Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, sparkling wine220410 | 13,875 | +8.9% |
| 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 | 13,755 | -7.7% |
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 11,837 | -3.9% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Mattress supports, sleeping bags940430 | 5,963 | +129.3% |
| Artificial flowers, foliage and fruit and parts thereof of other materials670290 | 3,967 | +69.8% |
| HS 850920850920 | 4,201 | +56.2% |
| 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 | 5,053 | +31.8% |
| Other articles of wood, clothes hangers442110 | 5,098 | +31.3% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Parts and accessories of machines of heading 8445 or of their auxiliary machinery, card clothing844831 | 5,683 | -49.8% |
| Other glassware of lead crystal701391 | 4,602 | -41.3% |
| Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear640411 | 6,913 | -40.5% |
| Articles for Christmas festivities and parts and accessories thereof950510 | 4,233 | -38.9% |
| HS 950291950291 | 4,015 | -36.7% |
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 | 981,090 | -6.9% |
| INDIA | 115,206 | -17.2% |
| VIET NAM | 114,042 | -9.6% |
| GERMANY | 110,511 | -11.8% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 97,279 | -2.4% |
| ITALY | 79,984 | -12.5% |
| TAIWAN | 64,906 | -7.8% |
| JAPAN | 57,333 | -16.3% |
| THAILAND | 52,239 | -3.6% |
| BELGIUM | 43,981 | -9.5% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LONG BEACH, CA | 459,129 | -7.2% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 428,906 | -13.1% |
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 408,628 | -8.8% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 152,556 | -6.6% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 152,180 | -6.1% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 112,170 | -7.2% |
| TACOMA, WA | 110,113 | -2.7% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 98,570 | -6.4% |
| MIAMI, FL | 74,893 | -1.5% |
| OAKLAND, CA | 60,999 | -13.3% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 35,883 |
| CRIMSONLOGIC US INC | 15,297 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 14,825 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 11,918 |
| WALMART INC | 8,998 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 8,838 |
| WAL MART INC | 5,317 |
| RTG FURNITURE CORP | 5,014 |
| ITOURSCM INC | 4,871 |
| DEL MONTE FRESH PRODUCE N A INC | 3,827 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| SHENZHEN YI H USA NG E COMMERCE CO | 13,534 |
| HANGZHOU FAR INTERNATIONAL LOGISTI | 12,759 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 11,450 |
| CNE EXPRESS CO | 10,069 |
| JENNY | 7,446 |
| HAINAN GOLDEN SHELL CO LTD | 6,499 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 5,914 |
| YIWU JIRUN ECOMMERCE CO LTD | 5,870 |
| ZHONGSHAN TOPWELL CRAFTS CO LTD | 5,640 |
| SHENZHEN GUANGMING TRADE CO LTD | 4,871 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between October 2023 and December 2023. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q3 2023, year-over-year compares Q4 2022. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q4 2023 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.