Top 100 US Exporters

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.

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.

Despite duties in China, vessel space limitations at US ports and equipment shortages at inland rail hubs, US containerized agricultural shipments increased seven percent in 2020.

US exporters of scrap metals, paper, and plastics saw increased demand in 2019, but volumes have come crashing down in early 2020 due to supply and demand destruction caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

A collapse in US exports of scrap paper and forest products due to tariffs, environmental restrictions, and slowing economies in receiving countries is expected to continue this year due to the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

The main concern for US resin producers in 2019 was an increase in Chinese import tariffs, but that has been overshadowed by macro-economic concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

Nearly five months into 2020, US agricultural exporters say their main concerns are logistical issues such as blank sailings in the trans-Pacific, ocean carrier detention and demurrage charges, and supply chain disruptions due to “earliest return date” (ERD) mandates.

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.

Walmart remained atop the list of the largest US importers by volume last year and is nearing the 1 million-TEU mark, moving more than 7.3 times the volume of online retail giant Amazon, which came in at No. 12.

Containerized exports are tied closely to agricultural commodities.

If the ban takes effect, US exporters of these commodities will lose access to the destination where they shipped 77.8 percent of their products last year.

Trade disputes are driving US exporters of dried distillers grains (DDGs) to overhaul their supply chains.

US cotton exporters are anticipating another strong year after containerized cotton exports rose 3.7 percent last year.

The first consignment of US beef to be imported by China in 14 years is just days away from arriving in the country.

The Top 5 Importers in 2016 combined to handled 2.2 million TEU while the Top 5 Exporters shipped 921,600 TEU.

Investment, divestment, mergers and acquisitions mark growth strategy of seven of the JOC's Top 100 Exporters in 2015.

The 2014 JOC Top 100 Exporters rankings once again are led by businesses engaged in recycling operations and industrial companies.

Chinese companies are expecting more restrictions on wastepaper imports in early 2015 following a proposal circulated in August by the Ministry of Environmental Protection that reflects a growing emphasis on environmental protection.

Weak global demand is hurting U.S. containerized exports, while a reviving U.S. economy is aiding imports. A larger long-term trade imbalance is the likely result, Cass says.

The top 10 companies among JOC’s Top 100 exporters were responsible for exporting 1,454,700 TEUs in 2013.

Some of the fastest-climbing companies on the JOC’s Top 100 Importers and Exporters rankings share a common trait: They either partner with or are part of a conglomerate that allows them to create synergies of scale.

After a strong start in the first part of this decade, the slowdown in export growth means the U.S. will not meet President Obama's goal of doubling exports by 2015 from 2009 levels.

U.S. containerized exports could exceed imports during certain months as soon as 2016 and on an annual basis by 2020, Walter Kemmsies, chief economist at Moffatt & Nichol, told the annual meeting of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.

For the third straight year, ACX Pacific Northwest has been listed as the No. 1 exporter of alfalfa and grass hay in The Journal of Commerce’s Top 100 U.S. Exporters list.

Rayonier, the $1.6 billion exporter of performance fibers, faces constraints from factors beyond its control, including limited truck productivity, shallow ports and improved but spotty liner scheduling reliability, adding costs to the roughly 40,000 TEUs the company exports annually.

Agriculture exporters shouldn’t have trouble finding ocean container capacity this year or next, nor will they have any trouble finding buyers.

When the European Shippers’ Council celebrates its 50th anniversary in June, carriers in the air and at sea undoubtedly will be reminded of two of the ESC’s biggest victories: its role in persuading European Commission antitrust hawks to outlaw liner shipping conferences, and forcing UPS to pull its $7 billion takeover of TNT Express.

U.S. exports of recycled plastics, metal and paper to China are taking a beating because China’s new administration country is cracking down on the importation of adulterated scrap products.

If more shippers are starting to think about co-loading freight and sharing capacity to fight rising transportation costs, some credit should go to Kimberly-Clark. For more than two years, the $21.1 billion consumer packaged goods company has successfully shared truck capacity with another CPG shipper, Colgate, to improve distribution to a limited number of CVS Caremark retail stores.

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

Wastepaper is a bedrock of U.S. exports, accounting for more than 20 of the top 100 U.S. exporters of containerized cargo and more than 15 percent of total export containers. That’s unlikely to change soon, but two emerging trends could slow future growth.

One step forward, a half-step backward. That’s expected to be the story of the U.S. economy, and containerized imports and exports, through the rest of 2013.

Energy now locked in shale rock is fueling a renaissance in U.S. chemical manufacturing that will drive rising exports of chemicals and related products even higher, according to the head of the American Chemistry Council.