Top 100 US Exporters

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.

IHS Markit expects US GDP to expand 7.1 percent in the fourth quarter, based on a $130 billion jump in inventory investment in October that represents goods “pulled forward” from 2022.

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.

Rapid e-commerce delivery requirements, as well as capacity shortages and equipment imbalances, are spurring the growth of transloading near US seaports, speakers at TPM21 said.

Exporters and trucking companies are battling delays on Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation in Memphis, causing loaded containers going to Charleston and Savannah to idle for days.

Agricultural exporter Scoular will open a transload facility this summer to export soybeans out of the Port of Wilmington, North Carolina, adding to its existing relationships with ports in Virginia, South Carolina, and Southern California.

A&R Logistics opened a resin packaging plant in Georgia last week more than a month ahead of schedule, and along with its new South Carolina facility will contribute a combined 100,000 TEU of new volume at the ports of Charleston and Savannah annually.

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.

Expectations for capacity, demand, and pricing across transportation modes in 2020 have been shattered by the COVID‑19 pandemic, resulting in recession.

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.

A coalition of 80 agricultural shippers is urging the Trump administration to get involved in the detention and demurrage debate now before the Federal Maritime Commission, saying the issue is even more important now amid supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The 10-year US economic expansion is over, killed by the response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019), and the recovery will be slow, IHS Markit chief economist Nariman Behravesh warns.

The coronavirus is creating new opportunities for cargo thieves, and demands better “continuity planning” from businesses that ship freight, BSI says.

Chicago-based startup Transship is teaming with TradeLens and other tech companies to create an automated shipping and forwarding platform for containerized perishables shipments.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam unveiled an international trade plan to boost exports by 50 percent in the next 15 years, a key initiative since laden exports fell between January and August for the second consecutive year.

Exports of containerized scrap products from the US have declined every year since 2014, bad news for ports and shipping lines that depend upon recyclables as reliable backhaul commodities.

The US-China trade war is keeping shippers on edge, and will likely cause further shifts in the JOC.com annual Top 100 US Importers and Exporters rankings in 2019.

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.

Economists and shipping industry leaders warn the US-China trade war could be a potential tipping point for a global economy that was already cooling before President Donald Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods.

The volume of chemicals exports from the United States will be shaped in 2019 by the resolution of the US-China trade war.

Toys from China remain unaffected by tariffs, but shippers fear they could be impacted by future rounds of tariffs.

The automotive trade is waiting with bated breath for any tariffs coming out of the US Commerce Department’s investigation into the potential national security implications of imports of vehicles and parts.

Higher tariffs and slowing manufacturing growth are among the factors weighing on heavy machinery demand.

The immediate impact of lost export opportunities because of retaliation by US trading partners to the Trump administration’s tariffs is a major, negative development for US businesses. Even so, the longer-term damage from the erosion of the US’s reputation as a reliable supplier of agricultural products should really concern beneficial cargo owners, ag exporters have been told.

US exports are on a growth track, but export expansion could be derailed or slowed if the United States enters a trade war.

It is unclear whether Maersk's strategy regarding forwarders is a temporary tactical move or part of a broader push.

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.