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 May 2026
Key findings
- U.S. ocean imports totaled 2,404,705 shipments in Q4 2023, down 9.5% versus Q3 2023 and down 2.2% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Other wooden furniture (HS 940360), with 20,612 shipments (+1.4% quarter-over-quarter).
- The fastest-growing high-volume category was Mattress supports, sleeping bags (HS 940430), up 126.7% from the prior quarter to 5,894 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 50.0% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 968,977 shipments — 40.3% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LONG BEACH, CA, receiving 455,159 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was IKEA SUPPLY AG, with 34,519 shipments.
Shipments
2,404,705
Containers
3,145,943
Quarter over quarter
-9.5%
vs Q3 2023
Year over year
-2.2%
vs Q4 2022
Monthly shipment volume
892,496October 2023
799,956November 2023
712,253December 2023
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Other wooden furniture940360 | 20,612 | +1.4% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 19,324 | -5.8% |
| Teleferics, chair lifts, ski draglines842860 | 16,032 | +15.2% |
| Other seats, with wooden frames, upholstered940161 | 15,969 | +7.8% |
| HS 940140940140 | 15,311 | +17.8% |
| 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 | 14,973 | -18.2% |
| Furniture of plastics940370 | 14,750 | -2.2% |
| 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 | 13,527 | -9.2% |
| Wine of fresh grapes, including fortified wines, sparkling wine220410 | 13,506 | +6.1% |
| Nonadjustable, and parts thereof820411 | 11,725 | -4.8% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Mattress supports, sleeping bags940430 | 5,894 | +126.7% |
| Artificial flowers, foliage and fruit and parts thereof of other materials670290 | 3,951 | +69.4% |
| HS 850920850920 | 4,187 | +55.7% |
| 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 | 5,010 | +30.7% |
| Other articles of wood, clothes hangers442110 | 5,039 | +29.8% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Parts and accessories of machines of heading 8445 or of their auxiliary machinery, card clothing844831 | 5,664 | -50.0% |
| Other glassware of lead crystal701391 | 4,545 | -42.1% |
| Footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics, sports footwear640411 | 6,844 | -41.1% |
| Articles for Christmas festivities and parts and accessories thereof950510 | 4,213 | -39.2% |
| HS 950291950291 | 3,959 | -37.6% |
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 | 968,977 | -8.0% |
| INDIA | 113,930 | -18.1% |
| VIET NAM | 112,236 | -11.0% |
| GERMANY | 108,221 | -13.6% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 95,806 | -3.9% |
| ITALY | 78,063 | -14.6% |
| TAIWAN | 63,515 | -9.7% |
| JAPAN | 56,378 | -17.7% |
| THAILAND | 51,188 | -5.5% |
| BELGIUM | 42,844 | -11.8% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LONG BEACH, CA | 455,159 | -8.0% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 421,033 | -14.7% |
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 406,064 | -9.3% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 149,143 | -7.9% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 148,338 | -9.1% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 109,880 | -9.1% |
| TACOMA, WA | 105,195 | -7.0% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 97,421 | -7.4% |
| MIAMI, FL | 74,139 | -2.4% |
| OAKLAND, CA | 59,390 | -15.6% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 34,519 |
| CRIMSONLOGIC US INC | 15,297 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 13,855 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 11,670 |
| WALMART INC | 8,903 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 8,739 |
| WAL MART INC | 5,177 |
| RTG FURNITURE CORP | 4,891 |
| ITOURSCM INC | 4,871 |
| DEL MONTE FRESH PRODUCE N A INC | 3,646 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| SHENZHEN YI H USA NG E COMMERCE CO | 13,534 |
| HANGZHOU FAR INTERNATIONAL LOGISTI | 12,759 |
| LG ELECTRONICS INC | 11,205 |
| CNE EXPRESS CO | 10,069 |
| JENNY | 7,446 |
| HAINAN GOLDEN SHELL CO LTD | 6,499 |
| YIWU JIRUN ECOMMERCE CO LTD | 5,870 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 5,846 |
| 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.