CargoFax Trade Insights
U.S. Import 2024 Year End Report
February 04, 2025
February 04, 2025
CargoFax presents the U.S. maritime import report for the end of 2024. This report highlights key metrics such as shipments, containers, TEUs, and total tonnage, comparing the import volumes from January 1st to December 31st, 2024, with those of the previous two years.
Additionally, the report highlights trends in commodities, trading partners, U.S. ports of entry, and shipping lines. Focusing exclusively on maritime imports, this analysis provides valuable insights into the dynamics of U.S. import flows.
It is important to note that the data can slightly change as Bills of Lading amendments come in, and the information presented is not final; it represents all BOL that pass through federal agency records.
In 2024, total import shipments reached 24.2 million, reflecting a 33.9% increase from 2023. Container volumes followed a similar trend, increasing by 11.1% to 30.3 million containers. TEU volumes increased 8.3, with 48.1 million TEUs processed. Additionally, the weight of imported goods increased by 9.3%, totaling 754.3 billion kilograms. These figures indicate a general growth in U.S. maritime import activity for the year.
Compared to 2022, import shipments grew 21.3%. This rise is accompanied by growth in other metrics: TEU volumes rose by 1.0%, container counts increased by 4.0%, and the weight of imported goods saw a 0.8% increase.
| Shipments (millions) | TEUs (millions) | Containers (millions) | KG (billions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24.182 | 48.079 | 30.295 | 754.296 |
| 2023 | 18.055 | 44.412 | 27.266 | 690.345 |
| 2022 | 19.929 | 47.587 | 29.123 | 748.431 |
| '24 vs '23 | 6.126 | 3.667 | 3.029 | 63.951 |
| 24 vs '22 | 4.253 | 0.492 | 1.172 | 5.865 |
| 24 vs '23 % | 33.9% | 8.3% | 11.1% | 9.3% |
| 24 vs '22 % | 21.3% | 1.0% | 4.0% | 0.8% |
In the following sections, we’ll focus primarily on TEUs as the key metric of analysis. However, if you’re interested in exploring additional dimensions like shipments, containers, or tonnage, CargoFax offers comprehensive access to these metrics and much more through our subscription plans.
Dive deeper into the data for detailed insights that can help optimize your business strategies.
Grouping commodities by HS chapters, Furniture and home goods (H5-94) ranked as the top imported commodity, accounting for 9.7% of total imports. Machinery and mechanical equipment (H5-84) followed closely at 7.7%, and Electrical machinery (H5-85) came in third with a 5.7% share.
Year-over-year, the top-performing commodities were Plastics and related articles (H5-39), with a growth of 43.2%, and Other textile articles and clothing (H5-63), which increased by 34.4%. On the other hand, Electrical machinery (H5-85) and Apparel and clothing accessories (H5-61) showed declines of (9.3%) and (4.1%), respectively.
Additionally, Silk (H5-50) experienced a (75.2%) decline, while Vegetable textile fibres (H5-53) saw a significant increase of 166% year-over-year.
| Commodity Section | TEUS | Market Share % | '24 vs '23 (% ∆) | '24 vs '22 (% ∆) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miscellaneous Articles | 7,240,124 | 15.1% | 18.1% | (6.6%) |
| 2 | Machinery & Appliances | 6,438,331 | 13.4% | (1.6%) | (5.8%) |
| 3 | Textiles | 6,311,702 | 13.1% | 17.1% | (2.6%) |
| 4 | Transport Equipment | 5,267,900 | 11.0% | 14.4% | (9.0%) |
| 5 | Base Metals | 4,722,288 | 9.8% | 3.3% | (20.3%) |
| 6 | Plastics & Rubber Articles | 3,902,171 | 8.1% | 25.4% | (9.2%) |
| 7 | Prepared Food & Beverages | 2,807,164 | 5.8% | (2.3%) | (19.7%) |
| 8 | Chemical Products | 2,244,559 | 4.7% | (5.8%) | 3.7% |
| 9 | Vegetable Products | 2,005,424 | 4.2% | (2.5%) | (8.5%) |
| 10 | Stone, Cement, & Glass | 1,872,902 | 3.9% | 7.6% | (0.3%) |
| Other HS Sections | 5,266,019 | 11.0% | 5.2% | (6.5%) |
| Commodity Chapter | TEUs | Market Share % | '24 vs '23 (% ∆) | '24 vs '22 (% ∆) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | H5-94 | Furniture and home goods | 4,640,706 | 9.7% | 13.7% | (2.6%) |
| 2 | H5-84 | Machinery and mechanical equipment | 3,687,078 | 7.7% | 5.0% | (1.5%) |
| 3 | H5-85 | Electrical machinery | 2,751,253 | 5.7% | (9.3%) | 6.3% |
| 4 | H5-39 | Plastics and related articles | 2,652,715 | 5.5% | 43.2% | 20.1% |
| 5 | H5-87 | Vehicles and their parts | 2,145,388 | 4.5% | 1.2% | (0.2%) |
| 6 | H5-95 | Toys, games, and sports equipment | 1,809,822 | 3.8% | 23.5% | (4.1%) |
| 7 | H5-63 | Other textile articles and clothing | 1,513,599 | 3.2% | 34.4% | 21.1% |
| 8 | H5-61 | Apparel and clothing accessories (knitted) | 1,311,271 | 2.7% | (4.1%) | (19.0%) |
| 9 | H5-73 | Railway track constructions of iron or steel | 1,264,932 | 2.6% | 3.4% | (8.8%) |
| 10 | H5-62 | Apparel and clothing accessories (not knitted) | 1,262,463 | 2.6% | 14.0% | (10.1%) |
| Other HS Chapters | 25,039,357 | 52.1% | 6.8% | (5.2%) |
For detailed insights into which commodities were imported by specific companies or countries, the complete dataset is available through a CargoFax subscription.
China remained the dominant country of origin, accounting for 46.5% of total U.S. TEU imports, with over 22.37 million TEUs exported into the U.S. in 2024.
Among the 164 countries the U.S. imports from, China’s import volumes exceed the combined total of all other countries, except for South Korea, which remains the second-largest importer.
Following China, South Korea and Vietnam contributed 8.1% and 5.4%, respectively. Germany and Singapore completed the top five, with 3.2% and 2.8% of market share.
China recorded the largest increase in imports to the U.S., with a 21% growth compared to the previous year, while the United Kingdom recorded the steepest decline, with a 26.1% decrease year-over-year.
| Country of Origin | TEUs | Market Share % | '24 vs '23 (% ∆) | '24 vs '22 (% ∆) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 22,370,491 | 46.5% | 21.0% | 10.8% |
| 2 | South Korea | 3,890,298 | 8.1% | 6.2% | 4.2% |
| 3 | Vietnam | 2,604,687 | 5.4% | 5.8% | (2.3%) |
| 4 | Germany | 1,536,981 | 3.2% | (5.6%) | (7.8%) |
| 5 | Singapore | 1,327,852 | 2.8% | (3.5%) | (0.9%) |
| 6 | Taiwan | 1,307,431 | 2.7% | (3.9%) | (20.6%) |
| 7 | India | 1,258,749 | 2.6% | 6.5% | (4.3%) |
| 8 | Italy | 1,147,767 | 2.4% | (4.7%) | (4.8%) |
| 9 | Belgium | 902,240 | 1.9% | (0.7%) | (14.0%) |
| 10 | Canada | 894,935 | 1.9% | 10.8% | 25.5% |
| Other Countries | 10,837,094 | 22.5% | (4.4%) | (10.1%) |
The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach led the nation in TEU volume, processing 10.3 million and 9.3 million TEUs, respectively. Compared to the prior year, the Port of Los Angeles saw a growth of 36.9%, while the Port of Long Beach grew by 25.4%, both positively impacted by China’s increased volume.
Together, these two ports represent 41% of all TEU volumes imported into the U.S. from the 131 ports that handled imports in 2024.
The Port of New York and New Jersey followed, handling 6.5 million TEUs, down (6.3%) from the prior year. The Port of Savannah and Port of Houston rounded out the top five, with 3.7 million and 3.3 million TEUs processed. Savannah grew by 3.2% year-over-year, while Houston declined by (3.2%).
Of the 46 ports that handled more than 1,000 TEUs, 22 experienced an average growth of 28.2%, while the other 24 ports saw an average decline of (16.2%). The Port of Vancouver, Washington, recorded the highest growth at 186.5%, while the Port of Ponce, Puerto Rico, experienced the most significant decline at (59.2%).
| Port of Arrival | TEUs | Market Share % | '24 vs '23 (% ∆) | '24 vs '22 (% ∆) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port of Los Angeles, California | 10,271,717 | 21.4% | 36.9% | 26.6% |
| 2 | Port of Long Beach, California | 9,300,973 | 19.4% | 25.4% | 20.7% |
| 3 | Port of New York and New Jersey | 6,502,727 | 13.5% | (6.3%) | (17.2%) |
| 4 | Port of Savannah, Georgia | 3,700,201 | 7.7% | 3.2% | (11.6%) |
| 5 | Port of Houston, Texas | 3,282,939 | 6.8% | (3.2%) | 0.4% |
| 6 | Port of Norfolk, Virginia | 2,235,448 | 4.7% | (1.1%) | (9.9%) |
| 7 | Port of Tacoma, Washington | 2,046,706 | 4.3% | 4.9% | 21.8% |
| 8 | Port of Charleston, South Carolina | 1,908,721 | 4.0% | 3.6% | 0.9% |
| 9 | Port of Seattle, Washington | 1,592,306 | 3.3% | (0.9%) | (20.1%) |
| 10 | Port of Oakland, California | 1,320,656 | 2.8% | 4.0% | (12.8%) |
| Other Ports of Arrival | 5,916,190 | 12.3% | (8.4%) | (10.1%) |
CMA led the market with a 16.2% share of total imports, handling nearly 7.8 million TEUs in 2024. MSC and Oratel followed with 13.7% and 9.7% shares, respectively. Maersk and Zim round out the top 5, with 9.5% and 8% market share, respectively.
In terms of overall market competitiveness, the top 5 shipping lines account for nearly 57.1% of all TEUs imported into the U.S., while the top 10 lines represent 85.9% of total TEU imports.
Of the 43 shipping lines that moved more than 10,000 TEUs during the year, ZIM Lines experienced the largest growth, with a 135% increase year-over-year, while Evergreen decreased by (9.5%), or about 285K TEUs less than the prior year.
| Port of Arrival | TEUs | Market Share % | '24 vs '23 (% ∆) | '24 vs '22 (% ∆) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Compagnie Maritime d'Affretement (CMA) | 7,799,818 | 16.2% | 41.3% | 29.0% |
| 2 | MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company | 6,607,175 | 13.7% | 4.8% | (25.5%) |
| 3 | Oratel Networks | 4,683,439 | 9.7% | 3.4% | 9.6% |
| 4 | Maersk Line | 4,547,521 | 9.5% | 4.4% | 0.6% |
| 5 | ZIM Integrated Shipping Ltd | 3,832,639 | 8.0% | 134.6% | 116.4% |
| 6 | Hapag-Lloyd Container Line | 3,744,646 | 7.8% | 2.8% | 11.5% |
| 7 | COSCO Container Lines | 3,340,270 | 7.0% | 10.4% | 5.8% |
| 8 | Evergreen | 2,703,400 | 5.6% | (9.5%) | (8.9%) |
| 9 | Star Freight Solutions | 2,460,124 | 5.1% | (1.2%) | 5.4% |
| 10 | Yang Ming Marine Transport | 1,597,940 | 3.3% | 9.2% | 5.3% |
| Other Shipping Lines | 6,759,874 | 14.1% | (6.8%) | (22.9%) |
Looking for in-depth insights from this dataset? Whether you're interested in researching individual importers or exporters, analyzing particular trade routes, reviewing specific bills of lading, or understanding your current suppliers' trade network—CargoFax has you covered with exclusive data.
While this report offers a macro view of U.S. import activity, our subscribers gain access to over 65 million Bills of Lading, allowing for detailed analysis of shipments, containers, TEUs, and tonnage.
CargoFax empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions, optimize your supply chain, and seize new opportunities in global trade.
Plus, with unlimited downloads, integrating these insights into your own reports is seamless.
Unlock the full potential of this data by signing up today!