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.
Top 100 US Exporters
Top 100 US Exporters
The Journal of Commerce’s annual Top 100 US Importers and Exporters ranking begins with data from PIERS, a sister product of JOC.com within IHS Markit, and is enhanced by information gathered from other industry sources.
The figures are expressed in TEU, the most common measurement of containerized ocean shipping. One standard 40-foot ocean container equals two TEU.
These lists are restricted to shippers — beneficial owners of containerized cargo that entered or exited U.S. ports by ocean vessels. The statistics don’t include shippers associations, carriers, non-vessel-operating common carriers, forwarders or brokers, third-party logistics providers, banks, or “to-order” negotiable bills of lading, or data falling under privacy strictures. International import and export cargoes moving into and out of the US via air, rail or truck are not included.
In tandem with last year’s ranking and considerable industry research, the list also identifies corporate subsidiaries and strives to reflect any changes in corporate status related to mergers, acquisitions, spinoffs, formal name changes or bankruptcy filings. We also identify the location of corporate headquarters and, if the global headquarters is outside the US, the parent company. We indicate a website if one is available and the industry sector, adding a short note about each company, often recent news or an interesting fact.
These rankings represent our best approximation of the total international oceanborne shipments by these companies and their subsidiaries. We welcome your feedback.
News & Analysis
25 May 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.
20 May 2021
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.
23 Mar 2021
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.
22 Mar 2021
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.
12 Jan 2021
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.
01 Dec 2020
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.
03 Jun 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.
01 Jun 2020
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.
29 May 2020
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.
25 May 2020
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.
22 May 2020
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.
20 May 2020
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.
18 May 2020
Expectations for capacity, demand, and pricing across transportation modes in 2020 have been shattered by the COVID‑19 pandemic, resulting in recession.
13 May 2020
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.
12 May 2020
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.
07 Apr 2020
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.
19 Mar 2020
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.
17 Mar 2020
The coronavirus is creating new opportunities for cargo thieves, and demands better “continuity planning” from businesses that ship freight, BSI says.
11 Dec 2019
Chicago-based startup Transship is teaming with TradeLens and other tech companies to create an automated shipping and forwarding platform for containerized perishables shipments.
14 Nov 2019
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.
31 May 2019
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.
31 May 2019
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.
30 May 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.
28 May 2019
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.
23 May 2019
The volume of chemicals exports from the United States will be shaped in 2019 by the resolution of the US-China trade war.
21 May 2019
Toys from China remain unaffected by tariffs, but shippers fear they could be impacted by future rounds of tariffs.
21 May 2019
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.
20 May 2019
Higher tariffs and slowing manufacturing growth are among the factors weighing on heavy machinery demand.
25 Jun 2018
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.
22 May 2018
A detailed look at JOC's Top 100 Importers and Exporters of 2017 by imports, exports, and industrial sector.
21 May 2018
In 2018, US importers and exporters will be greeted by the strongest international and domestic demand conditions in at least a half-decade. Still, uncertainty regarding tariffs and a tight US trucking market are obstacles that could dampen what many expect to be an impressive year for global trade.
06 Mar 2018
US exports are on a growth track, but export expansion could be derailed or slowed if the United States enters a trade war.
19 Dec 2017
It is unclear whether Maersk's strategy regarding forwarders is a temporary tactical move or part of a broader push.
04 Sep 2017
Containerized exports are tied closely to agricultural commodities.
19 Jul 2017
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.
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