State of U.S. Imports: Q2 2021
U.S. ocean import activity from April 2021 through June 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 1,834,433 shipments in Q2 2021, down 31.7% versus Q1 2021 and down 24.4% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Other wooden furniture (HS 940360), with 17,537 shipments (-37.9% quarter-over-quarter).
- The fastest-growing high-volume category was Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear (HS 640411), up 65.8% from the prior quarter to 16,477 shipments.
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Prepared glues and other prepared adhesives, other (HS 350699), down 57.3% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 652,362 shipments — 35.6% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LOS ANGELES, CA, receiving 364,775 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was IKEA SUPPLY AG, with 26,297 shipments.
Shipments
1,834,433
Containers
2,462,264
Quarter over quarter
-31.7%
vs Q1 2021
Year over year
-24.4%
vs Q2 2020
Monthly shipment volume
843,851April 2021
587,109May 2021
403,473June 2021
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 17,537 | -37.9% |
| Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear640411 | 16,477 | +65.8% |
| Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other ceramic constructional goods, roofing tiles690510 | 16,423 | +3.9% |
| 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 | 15,639 | -0.4% |
| Furniture of plastics940370 | 14,923 | -28.2% |
| Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, sparkling wine220410 | 13,165 | -25.3% |
| Not knitted or crocheted, of cotton630492 | 12,472 | -7.3% |
| HS 940140940140 | 12,182 | -25.5% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 11,317 | -32.1% |
| Other seats, with wooden frames, upholstered940161 | 10,065 | -31.0% |
Fastest growing
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Prepared glues and other prepared adhesives, other350699 | 4,484 | -57.3% |
| Trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts of cotton620462 | 2,200 | -55.3% |
| Diodes, other than photosensitive or light-emitting diodes (LED)854110 | 5,730 | -52.8% |
| HS 940520940520 | 2,762 | -50.0% |
| On a base of woven textile fabric only680510 | 2,494 | -49.0% |
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 | 652,362 | -40.8% |
| GERMANY | 106,639 | -13.0% |
| ITALY | 91,242 | +4.8% |
| INDIA | 83,912 | -29.6% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 68,229 | -36.8% |
| TAIWAN | 65,066 | -19.5% |
| VIET NAM | 64,244 | -36.7% |
| JAPAN | 55,537 | -22.7% |
| BELGIUM | 44,193 | -17.6% |
| SPAIN | 39,586 | -10.6% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 364,775 | -40.0% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 332,223 | -25.5% |
| LONG BEACH, CA | 258,531 | -40.2% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 104,579 | -22.5% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 100,636 | -34.5% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 88,620 | -15.5% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 85,250 | -20.3% |
| TACOMA, WA | 81,037 | -33.6% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 70,681 | -21.2% |
| MIAMI, FL | 57,003 | -28.0% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 26,297 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 9,692 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 8,898 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 6,083 |
| 3PL LOGISTICS INC | 4,957 |
| SOL GROUP | 4,538 |
| WALMART INC | 4,406 |
| CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC | 3,620 |
| SCHAEFFLER GROUP USA INC | 2,891 |
| AMAZON SERVICES LLC | 2,643 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| JENNY | 28,635 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 8,189 |
| SHENZHEN YITONGGUAN LOGISTICS TECHN | 6,495 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 6,370 |
| HONG KONG CHIN HOI WING WAN LIMITED | 5,298 |
| THAI SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 3,651 |
| HONGKONG CWEILI GROUP | 3,253 |
| EVER LOYAL GLOBAL CO LTD | 2,582 |
| UNION DE BANANEROS ECUATORIANOS S A | 2,551 |
| XYLEM EUROPE GMBH | 2,460 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between April 2021 and June 2021. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q1 2021, year-over-year compares Q2 2020. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q2 2021 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.