State of U.S. Imports: Q1 2021
U.S. ocean import activity from January 2021 through March 2021, from U.S. Customs bill of lading records.
Sourced from U.S. Customs bill of lading data · Updated monthly · Data through May 2026
Key findings
- U.S. ocean imports totaled 2,687,001 shipments in Q1 2021, up 4.8% versus Q4 2020 and up 38.9% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Other wooden furniture (HS 940360), with 28,260 shipments (+17.3% quarter-over-quarter).
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Incomplete movements, assembled (HS 911012), down 65.1% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 1,101,964 shipments — 41.0% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LOS ANGELES, CA, receiving 607,553 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was 3PL LOGISTICS INC, with 44,770 shipments.
Shipments
2,687,001
Containers
3,597,968
Quarter over quarter
+4.8%
vs Q4 2020
Year over year
+38.9%
vs Q1 2020
Monthly shipment volume
925,741January 2021
830,098February 2021
931,162March 2021
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 28,260 | +17.3% |
| HS 970110970110 | 25,900 | +164.1% |
| Furniture of plastics940370 | 20,770 | +9.7% |
| Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, sparkling wine220410 | 17,624 | +39.7% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 16,657 | -10.0% |
| HS 940140940140 | 16,361 | +8.9% |
| Incomplete movements, assembled911012 | 15,843 | -65.1% |
| Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other ceramic constructional goods, roofing tiles690510 | 15,799 | +7.4% |
| 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 | 15,699 | -1.5% |
| Other seats, with wooden frames, upholstered940161 | 14,579 | +0.1% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| HS 910112910112 | 7,659 | +250.8% |
| Grapes, fresh or dried, fresh080610 | 8,486 | +165.6% |
| HS 970110970110 | 25,900 | +164.1% |
| Ice skates and roller skates, including skating boots with skates attached950670 | 5,033 | +114.8% |
| Seeds, fruits and spores of a kind used for sowing, other120999 | 4,257 | +111.1% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Incomplete movements, assembled911012 | 15,843 | -65.1% |
| 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 | 5,285 | -49.3% |
| Mattress supports, sleeping bags940430 | 3,415 | -38.7% |
| HS 950350950350 | 3,495 | -38.3% |
| Toothbrushes, including dental-plate brushes960321 | 9,487 | -36.0% |
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 | 1,101,964 | +0.1% |
| GERMANY | 122,632 | +4.8% |
| INDIA | 119,131 | +17.0% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 107,913 | +10.2% |
| VIET NAM | 101,562 | +17.0% |
| ITALY | 87,063 | +2.1% |
| TAIWAN | 80,803 | +3.3% |
| JAPAN | 71,812 | +5.4% |
| BELGIUM | 53,615 | +4.8% |
| THAILAND | 52,263 | +25.8% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 607,553 | +2.5% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 446,134 | +1.6% |
| LONG BEACH, CA | 432,392 | +0.1% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 153,645 | +10.9% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 134,913 | +0.2% |
| TACOMA, WA | 122,097 | +12.4% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 106,942 | +8.5% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 104,883 | +14.6% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 89,645 | +23.5% |
| MIAMI, FL | 79,204 | +4.5% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| 3PL LOGISTICS INC | 44,770 |
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 29,828 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 13,594 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 12,063 |
| SOL GROUP | 7,808 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 7,632 |
| WALMART INC | 7,598 |
| SCHAEFFLER GROUP USA INC | 4,499 |
| ROOMS TO GO | 4,473 |
| AT HOME PROCUREMENT INC | 4,336 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| MR LEE | 41,965 |
| WANG ZHANG JIANG JIAANDA | 40,678 |
| WENXUAN HE | 37,689 |
| JENNY | 24,734 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 10,618 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 9,388 |
| DAVID ZHANG | 8,698 |
| THAI SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 4,734 |
| U FREIGHT | 4,418 |
| UNION DE BANANEROS ECUATORIANOS S A | 4,106 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between January 2021 and March 2021. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q4 2020, year-over-year compares Q1 2020. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q1 2021 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.