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 May 2026
Key findings
- U.S. ocean imports totaled 3,160,048 shipments in Q4 2024, down 9.3% versus Q3 2024 and up 31.4% year-over-year.
- The highest-volume import category was Storage heating radiators (HS 851621), with 85,798 shipments (-7.0% quarter-over-quarter).
- The fastest-growing high-volume category was Other polyesters, other (HS 390799), up 411.1% from the prior quarter to 38,382 shipments.
- The steepest decline among high-volume categories was Trailers and semi-trailers, other vehicles (HS 871680), down 60.0% quarter-over-quarter.
- CHINA was the largest origin country with 2,066,114 shipments — 65.4% of all U.S. ocean imports.
- The busiest U.S. port of entry was LOS ANGELES, CA, receiving 1,163,131 shipments.
- The largest importer by shipment count was IKEA SUPPLY AG, with 25,773 shipments.
Shipments
3,160,048
Containers
3,862,969
Quarter over quarter
-9.3%
vs Q3 2024
Year over year
+31.4%
vs Q4 2023
Monthly shipment volume
1,244,230October 2024
1,078,813November 2024
837,005December 2024
Top import categories
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Storage heating radiators851621 | 85,798 | -7.0% |
| Buttons of plastics, not covered with textile material960621 | 69,903 | N/A |
| Box files, letter trays, storage boxes and similar articles, of a kind used in offices, shops or the like481960 | 57,687 | -9.4% |
| Lavatory seats and covers392220 | 43,466 | -24.1% |
| Other polyesters, other390799 | 38,382 | +411.1% |
| Waste, parings and scrap, of other plastics391590 | 37,766 | +59.5% |
| Mattress supports, other940490 | 34,993 | +150.5% |
| Waste and scrap of stainless steel720421 | 24,953 | +15.4% |
| With uppers of textile materials640520 | 21,608 | +34.5% |
| Parts of machines and mechanical appliances having individual functions847990 | 19,475 | +1.4% |
Fastest growing
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Other polyesters, other390799 | 38,382 | +411.1% |
| HS 551332551332 | 15,746 | +236.6% |
| Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers390330 | 9,758 | +171.7% |
| Mattress supports, other940490 | 34,993 | +150.5% |
| Other seats, with metal frames, other940179 | 5,551 | +99.0% |
Steepest declines
| Product (HS code) | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| Trailers and semi-trailers, other vehicles871680 | 10,213 | -60.0% |
| HS 854260854260 | 4,284 | -56.7% |
| 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 | 9,225 | -49.1% |
| Sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, waistcoats (vests) and similar articles, knitted or crocheted of wool611011 | 5,588 | -48.5% |
| 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 | 4,083 | -46.1% |
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 | 2,066,114 | -4.7% |
| VIET NAM | 101,131 | -12.8% |
| INDIA | 92,451 | -9.0% |
| REPUBLIC OF KOREA | 77,542 | -22.1% |
| GERMANY | 68,667 | -23.7% |
| ITALY | 54,971 | -19.8% |
| TAIWAN | 48,218 | -19.7% |
| THAILAND | 46,479 | -11.4% |
| JAPAN | 38,567 | -15.6% |
| INDONESIA | 32,593 | +5.5% |
Busiest U.S. ports
| Port of entry | Shipments | QoQ |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES, CA | 1,163,131 | +15.0% |
| LONG BEACH, CA | 863,998 | -17.3% |
| NEW YORK/NEWARK AREA, NEWARK, NJ | 276,724 | -29.7% |
| SAVANNAH, GA | 113,757 | -20.9% |
| HOUSTON, TX | 109,102 | -17.1% |
| TACOMA, WA | 84,240 | -7.3% |
| NORFOLK, VA | 75,449 | -25.4% |
| CHARLESTON, SC | 59,483 | -24.8% |
| NEW YORK, NY | 58,927 | +28.8% |
| SEATTLE, WA | 51,257 | -36.1% |
Largest importers
| Importer | Shipments |
|---|---|
| IKEA SUPPLY AG | 25,773 |
| LG ELECTRONICS USA | 10,218 |
| LG SOURCING INC | 8,353 |
| DOLE FRESH FRUIT COMPANY | 7,661 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS AMERICA INC | 6,930 |
| RTG FURNITURE CORP | 4,830 |
| AMAZON SERVICES LLC | 3,516 |
| TMALL INC | 2,871 |
| LIVING SPACES FURNITURE LLC | 2,811 |
| DOLLARAMA L P | 2,571 |
Largest suppliers
| Supplier | Shipments |
|---|---|
| HANGZHOU WELL TRANS SUPPLY CHAIN MA | 598,171 |
| 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 | 9,775 |
| 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.