State of U.S. Imports: Q3 2021
U.S. ocean import activity from July 2021 through September 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 1,073,718 shipments in Q3 2021, down 41.5% versus Q2 2021 and down 57.6% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other cer… (HS 690510), with 14,287 shipments (-13.0% quarter-over-quarter).
- The fastest-growing high-volume category was Articles for Christmas festivities and parts and accessories thereof (HS 950510), up 73.8% from the prior quarter to 2,615 shipments.
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear (HS 640411), down 68.7% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 399,290 shipments — 37.2% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LOS ANGELES, CA, receiving 193,305 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was IKEA SUPPLY AG, with 9,977 shipments.
Shipments
1,073,718
Containers
1,402,014
Quarter over quarter
-41.5%
vs Q2 2021
Year over year
-57.6%
vs Q3 2020
Monthly shipment volume
246,066July 2021
279,368August 2021
548,284September 2021
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing tiles, chimney pots, cowls, chimney liners, architectural ornaments and other ceramic constructional goods, roofing tiles690510 | 14,287 | -13.0% |
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 9,841 | -43.9% |
| 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 | 8,351 | -46.6% |
| Furniture of plastics940370 | 7,993 | -46.4% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 6,851 | -39.5% |
| HS 966505966505 | 6,806 | N/A |
| Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, sparkling wine220410 | 6,686 | -49.2% |
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 5,974 | -40.6% |
| HS 940140940140 | 5,772 | -52.6% |
| Parts and accessories of machines of heading 8445 or of their auxiliary machinery, card clothing844831 | 5,708 | +62.4% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Articles for Christmas festivities and parts and accessories thereof950510 | 2,615 | +73.8% |
| Parts and accessories of machines of heading 8445 or of their auxiliary machinery, card clothing844831 | 5,708 | +62.4% |
| Crude or roughly trimmed251611 | 4,626 | +28.8% |
| Sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, waistcoats (vests) and similar articles, knitted or crocheted of wool611011 | 2,191 | +27.2% |
| HS 950349950349 | 3,835 | +5.2% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear640411 | 5,162 | -68.7% |
| Not knitted or crocheted, of cotton630492 | 4,757 | -61.9% |
| 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 | 2,530 | -60.0% |
| Parts suitable for use solely or principally with the engines of heading 8407 or 8408, other840999 | 1,647 | -56.9% |
| Potatoes, fresh or chilled, seed070110 | 1,436 | -54.9% |
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 | 399,290 | -38.8% |
| GERMANY | 68,782 | -35.5% |
| ITALY | 53,646 | -41.2% |
| INDIA | 46,755 | -44.3% |
| VIET NAM | 42,337 | -34.1% |
| TAIWAN | 35,805 | -45.0% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 35,082 | -48.6% |
| JAPAN | 31,050 | -44.1% |
| BELGIUM | 26,602 | -39.8% |
| HONG KONG | 24,168 | -8.1% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 193,305 | -47.0% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 189,655 | -42.9% |
| LONG BEACH, CA | 188,548 | -27.1% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 65,861 | -37.0% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 61,957 | -38.4% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 58,025 | -34.5% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 50,452 | -40.8% |
| TACOMA, WA | 48,361 | -40.3% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 35,211 | -50.2% |
| OAKLAND, CA | 26,909 | -47.4% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 9,977 |
| NIKE USA INC | 9,225 |
| INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE | 5,087 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 4,516 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 4,494 |
| SCHAEFFLER GROUP USA INC | 3,240 |
| WALMART INC | 3,012 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 2,678 |
| HELLA AUTOMOTIVE MEXICO S A | 2,073 |
| AT HOME PROCUREMENT INC | 1,892 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| JENNY | 6,901 |
| EVER LOYAL GLOBAL CO LTD | 4,198 |
| GHOSTFIRE GAMING NORTH AMERICA LLC | 3,889 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 3,643 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 3,348 |
| FUZHOU CHEN SHOUIMPORTEXP CO LTD | 2,319 |
| SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO | 1,771 |
| MS HE | 1,731 |
| THAI SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 1,508 |
| XYLEM EUROPE GMBH | 1,422 |
Methodology & citation
Figures are counts of U.S. Customs bill of lading records for ocean freight arriving at U.S. ports between July 2021 and September 2021. Product categories are 6-digit Harmonized System subheadings. Quarter-over-quarter compares Q2 2021, year-over-year compares Q3 2020. Shipment counts are records, not TEU or customs value.
This report is free to cite with attribution: “ImportDoor, State of U.S. Imports: Q3 2021 — U.S. Customs bill of lading data”, linked to this page.