Top 100 US Importers

The Journal of Commerce’s annual Top 100 Importers and Exporters rankings show that the largest shippers in 2023 took a larger share of the inbound and outbound markets in a weak year for overall volumes.

A rise in US imports is fueling optimism, especially among ocean carriers, but manufacturing’s malaise is tempering hopes for a broader transportation recovery.

This latest annual Journal of Commerce Top 100 Importer and Exporter rankings underscore the impact of softer US and global economies that depressed demand for goods domestically and abroad, weakening consumer confidence and high inflation, and a major shift in the timing of imports in 2022.

Despite strong demand both in the US and overseas, actual US vehicle production and sales remain restrained by parts shortages that forced automakers to halt production several times in 2021.

High consumer demand for electronics drove many US importers back to China in 2020, but alternative markets such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Mexico are still growing as well.

Walmart remained atop the list of the 100 largest US importers by a wide margin in 2020, while Koch Industries retained the No. 1 export spot.

While OEM suppliers and their transportation providers should expect down lines and slower production to weigh on growth, auto aftermarket suppliers are expecting the opposite. 

With the US imposing higher tariffs on goods from China, importers of household goods moved production to Southeast Asia last year, primarily Vietnam.

Increased import tariffs on Chinese-made toys in 2019 caused some shippers to shift sourcing to Vietnam, accelerating the diversion of those cargoes from Los Angeles and Long Beach to ports on the East and Gulf coasts.

With schools and retailers shut down across the country, imports this summer of back-to-school items and holiday season goods may be much lower than in prior years.

Walmart remained atop the list of the 100 largest US importers by a wide margin in 2019, while Koch Industries retained to the No. 1 export spot.

The savings afforded by the safe harbor tax credit has US solar energy developers rethinking traditional project logistics processes, purchasing and importing materials much earlier in the construction cycle.

Among the many questions facing the auto industry in 2020 is how to build resilience into supply chains centered on just-in-time (JIT) fulfillment strategies and lean manufacturing.

While other industries have seen massive increases or decreases in demand, food importers have been affected by an upheaval in consumption patterns and the channels through which end-consumers purchase food.

US tariffs on electronics goods produced in China continue to push production and assembly of some electronics to Southeast Asia and Mexico, with the latter grabbing a growing share of laptop computers and televisions due to its proximity to the US market.

US containerized imports from Asia dropped 0.5 percent year over year in the first quarter of 2019, after rising 15.5 percent in the fourth quarter, according to the PIERS data, a sister product of JOC.com within IHS Markit

US importers plan to bring in record container volume this peak season, which will translate into an impressive 2018 year-end gain compared with 2017.

With a strong economy and fashion in vogue, US imports should be on the rise.

Next-day shipping isn't just for online retailers. The parts division of $19 billion heavy truck maker PACCAR designed its latest distribution center to speed delivery of aftermarket components to customers.

The vice president of international logistics at retailer Target, Joshua Dolan, will lead a coalition dedicated to increasing supply chain efficiency.

Slide show: Growth among the leaders on the JOC's Top 100 Importers in 2015 rankings involved tenacity and perseverance in building scale with global agility.

As the July–October peak shipping season nears, excess retail stock could act as a drag on containerized imports.

Fulfilling orders from supplier warehouses are likely to shift freight patterns and increase home-delivery demand.

U.S. retail sales may have dropped in March, but demand for toys, especially those related to Disney’s hit movie Frozen, created a surge in containerized toy imports and boosted sales for Hasbro.

The National Automobile Dealers Association raised its forecast for 2016 U.S. car and light truck sales to 17.7 million units, a record high that will drive automotive freight and logistics demand.

An empty shelf in a big box store may be a retail logistics manager’s worst nightmare, but it’s not the only one. Retailers are rethinking inventory management and often carrying more inventory as they expand online sales and develop new delivery strategies.

Discount retailer Dollar Tree is building a $104.4 million distribution center in 'upstate' South Carolina, near the Greer Inland Port and the I-85 corridor, expanding its Southeastern logistics footprint.

Retailers and their suppliers dominated the JOC’s Top 100 U.S. Importers rankings once again in 2014. Here’s a quick look at the companies making up the Top 10 importers in U.S. foreign trade via ocean container transport.

Major U.S. retailers don't expect U.S. West Coast port congestion to hamper getting Black Friday products on the shelves, but they’re far less confident on their ability to keep stores stocked through the entire holiday season.

In a deal that could have implications for refrigerated shippers and warehouse operators across the U.S., Costco agreed to pay $335,000 in penalties and spend as much as $2 million over the next few years to cut greenhouse gas emissions from its warehouse stores.

As the world's largest corporation, Wal-Mart holds hefty leverage over its vendors. Its next mission is to eliminate waste within its massive system, even on food, and vendors are taking note.

Rick Gabrielson, senior manager for import transportation at Target Corp., has been named vice president of transportation at Lowe’s Cos.

It begins with a leaky faucet, or perhaps a broken piece of crown molding, or a washing machine, or ceiling fan. Something needs to be fixed, replaced, improved or installed — and the right tools are required to do it. That specific need generates the demand that sets the supply chain in motion at The Home Depot, and increasingly that demand first appears as an online order placed through the retailer’s website.

The home-improvement retailer Lowe’s is reducing its equipment costs and avoiding the chassis shortages that are plaguing cargo interests at a number of U.S. ports by leasing a dedicated fleet of chassis in its South Atlantic operations.

Wal-Mart executives want people to know they are increasing the food safety requirements of their suppliers, are working to verify the safety of imported foods and increasing standards in foreign stores as well.

After years of consumer retrenchment, especially on big-ticket purchases, the improving U.S. housing market is fueling demand for household appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, air conditioners, ovens, stoves and washing machines.

For all the talk about near-sourcing to Central America or the shift in production to Vietnam, China remains the dominant supplier of U.S. apparel imports. In fact, China’s share of the U.S. apparel import market is growing far faster than overall U.S. apparel imports.

Toys classified as vintage and classic are all the rage this year, according to the Toy Industry Association.

Top 100 importers in 2012: U.S. foreign trade via ocean container transport.

Like a gardener pruning a rosebush, Sears Holdings continuously prunes and reshapes its supply chain to reduce the cost of sourcing and cut the time it takes to get products into its stores. It’s all part of the $42 billion retailer’s move toward a just-in-time supply chain.