State of U.S. Imports: Q4 2024
U.S. ocean import activity from October 2024 through December 2024, 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 3,216,541 shipments in Q4 2024, down 7.7% versus Q3 2024 and up 31.4% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Storage heating radiators (HS 851621), with 86,007 shipments (-6.8% quarter-over-quarter).
- The fastest-growing high-volume category was Other polyesters, other (HS 390799), up 411.3% from the prior quarter to 38,411 shipments.
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Trailers and semi-trailers, other vehicles (HS 871680), down 59.8% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 2,085,942 shipments — 64.9% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LOS ANGELES, CA, receiving 1,167,665 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was IKEA SUPPLY AG, with 26,508 shipments.
Shipments
3,216,541
Containers
3,940,359
Quarter over quarter
-7.7%
vs Q3 2024
Year over year
+31.4%
vs Q4 2023
Monthly shipment volume
1,244,858October 2024
1,080,459November 2024
891,224December 2024
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Storage heating radiators851621 | 86,007 | -6.8% |
| Buttons of plastics, not covered with textile material960621 | 69,917 | N/A |
| Box files, letter trays, storage boxes and similar articles, of a kind used in offices, shops or the like481960 | 57,890 | -9.1% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 43,797 | -23.5% |
| Other polyesters, other390799 | 38,411 | +411.3% |
| Waste, parings and scrap, of other plastics391590 | 37,906 | +60.0% |
| Mattress supports, other940490 | 35,017 | +150.6% |
| Waste and scrap of stainless steel720421 | 25,106 | +16.2% |
| With uppers of textile materials640520 | 21,752 | +35.4% |
| HS 441033441033 | 19,561 | -12.7% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Other polyesters, other390799 | 38,411 | +411.3% |
| HS 551332551332 | 15,837 | +238.5% |
| Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers390330 | 9,776 | +172.1% |
| Mattress supports, other940490 | 35,017 | +150.6% |
| Other seats, with metal frames, other940179 | 5,611 | +101.2% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Trailers and semi-trailers, other vehicles871680 | 10,288 | -59.8% |
| HS 854260854260 | 4,288 | -56.6% |
| Other plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of plastics, noncellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materials of polymers of styrene392030 | 9,256 | -48.9% |
| Sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, waistcoats (vests) and similar articles, knitted or crocheted of wool611011 | 5,644 | -48.0% |
| Armored or reinforced safes, strong-boxes and doors and safe deposit lockers for strong-rooms, cash or deed boxes and the like, and parts thereof, of base metal830300 | 4,115 | -45.7% |
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 | 2,085,942 | -3.8% |
| VIET NAM | 104,425 | -10.0% |
| INDIA | 95,324 | -6.2% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 78,770 | -20.9% |
| GERMANY | 72,667 | -19.3% |
| ITALY | 58,302 | -14.9% |
| TAIWAN | 49,292 | -18.0% |
| THAILAND | 48,568 | -7.5% |
| JAPAN | 39,537 | -13.5% |
| INDONESIA | 33,393 | +8.1% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 1,167,665 | +15.4% |
| LONG BEACH, CA | 871,956 | -16.6% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 287,065 | -27.1% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 117,900 | -18.0% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 113,293 | -14.0% |
| TACOMA, WA | 90,386 | -0.6% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 78,321 | -22.6% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 63,198 | -20.1% |
| NEW YORK, NY | 60,334 | +31.7% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 53,571 | -33.2% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 26,508 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 10,325 |
| LG SOURCING INC | 8,335 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 7,671 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 6,957 |
| RTG FURNITURE CORP | 4,938 |
| AMAZON SERVICES LLC | 3,627 |
| TMALL INC | 2,934 |
| LIVING SPACES FURNITURE LLC | 2,877 |
| DOLLARAMA L P | 2,614 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| HANGZHOU WELL TRANS SUPPLY CHAIN MA | 599,000 |
| YIWU DT SUPPLY CHAIN MANA NORTH SIDE OF CHUANGXIN | 290,082 |
| JINGYUAN | 202,457 |
| HAINAN GOLDEN SHELL CO LTD | 118,388 |
| TZ CARGO LIMITED | 45,005 |
| ZHEJIANG ALBATROSS INTERNATIONAL | 42,007 |
| GO FAST SUPPLY CHAIN LTD | 11,417 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 9,868 |
| YUNJING INTELLIGENCE INNOVATION SHE | 7,976 |
| HANGZHOU YIDE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEME | 7,328 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between October 2024 and December 2024. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q3 2024, year-over-year compares Q4 2023. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q4 2024 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.