The
Select U.S. Importers chart epitomizes what every U.S. consumer already knows – there is a wide diversity of products heading for our stores and with e-commerce, our doors, like never before.
The mega-retailers like the ubiquitous Wal-Mart, Target and Lowes often use third parties and confidential contracts, which portrays these giants as much smaller importers than is the case. For example, Wal-Mart likely passed the million TEU mark years ago and other mega-retailers are likely moving closer to that threshold as well.
But the vast majority of U.S. importers are far more modest in size and their diversity mirrors the nation’s economy.
What Drives an Economy?
With a cursory view of the chart, the one sector that stands out is autos. Tire companies are continuing to fill inbound shipments. Hankook, for example, registered over 50,000 TEUs, while Michelin almost hit that mark. Nearly all the major auto makers have huge supporting shipments for their autos and related businesses. Automotive parts are also well represented. Companies like Mobis and Keystone Automotive both are around 30,000 TEUs worth of shipments.
Although automotive is significant, it’s hard to overlook imports of fresh produce. Dole Food has imports equivalent over 230,000 TEUs and Chiquita over 160,000, to lead the sector. Del Monte notched over 50,000 TEUs and Sol Group almost the same, reflecting the high demand for fresh produce.
Similar to produce, the food and beverage shipments are a major import segment in the US. Heineken, Anheuser Busch, Nestle Waters and Red Bull all are top importers.
Consumer electronics have for the last couple of decades been a major contributor to U.S. import totals. LG Electronics and Samsung both accounted for over 120,000 TEUs. Long time industry staples like Sunbeam, Electrolux and Homelite also are still important contributors to the sector.
Another landmark consumer oriented segment is furniture. The mega-furniture retailer, IKEA tallied a remarkable 138,000 TEUs but had plenty of company. RTG Furniture, Arauco and Bob’s Discount all had over 30,000 TEUs worth of furniture imports.
Discount retailers are a mainstay and while e-commerce has had an impact, many discount and specialty retailers have continued to post strong import totals. K-Mart/Sears heads the pack with just over 50,000 TEUs but Dollar Tree, Dollar General and J.C. Penney all posted over 30,000 TEUs. The apparel and shoe retailers follow close on the heels of the discount segment. For instance, Hanes Brand tallied over 42,000 TEUs, while up and coming Under Armour Inc was over 18,000.
New Entries
If anything, the imports to the US reflect a changing economy. A few years back, QVC, the online TV shopping company, sprung onto the list, and now Hanwha Q Cells, Trina Solar, Jinkosolar and Canadian Solar, all with over 12,900 TEUs worth of solar cell equipment have made their way onto the list.
Another group OLAM, a major agri-business company also popped up.
What the future holds is hard to tell as politics and trade wrestle, but one constant is change and no doubt next year’s version will reflect that.
Top North American Importers
| Importer |
State |
City |
Industry |
Est. TEU |
| Dole Food Company |
CA |
Thousand Oaks |
Fruits/Produce |
230846 |
| Chiquita Fresh North America |
NC |
Charlotte |
Fruits/Produce |
162917 |
| Ikea |
PA |
Conshohocken |
Furniture |
138402 |
| Lg Electronics USA Inc |
AL |
Huntsville |
Retail Electronics |
124055 |
| Samsung America Inc |
NJ |
Ridgefield Park |
Retail Electronics |
87956 |
| Heineken Usa Inc |
NY |
White Plains |
Beverage |
71796 |
| Red Bull North America Inc |
CA |
Santa Monica |
Beverage |
61550 |
| Newton Buyer (Homegoods) |
MA |
Framingham |
Retail |
56913 |
| Del Monte Fresh Produce |
FL |
Coral Gables |
Fruits/Produce |
53230 |
| Hankook Tire |
TN |
Nashville |
Tires |
52638 |
| Kmart Corporation |
IL |
Hoffman Estates |
Retail |
50229 |
| Michelin North America Inc |
SC |
Greenville |
Tires |
48506 |
| Rtg Furniture Corp |
FL |
Seffner |
Furniture |
48004 |
| Bmw Manufacturing Co Llc |
SC |
Greer |
Auto |
47528 |
| Michaels Stores Inc |
TX |
Irving |
Retail |
47302 |
| Anheuser Busch Inc |
MO |
Saint Louis |
Beverage |
46779 |
| Toys R Us Warehouse |
NJ |
Wayne |
Retail |
45600 |
| Dollar General Corporation |
TN |
Goodlettsville |
Retail |
44441 |
| Sol Group Marketing Co. |
FL |
Pompano Beach |
Fruits/Produce |
43227 |
| Hanes Brand Inc |
NC |
Winston-Salem |
Retail |
42648 |
| Dollar Tree Distribution Inc |
VA |
Chesapeake |
Retail |
42610 |
| Nestle Waters North America |
CT |
Stamford |
Beverage |
37142 |
| Mercedes Benz Usa |
GA |
Atlanta |
Auto |
36883 |
| Arauco Wood Products |
GA |
Atlanta |
Furniture |
35430 |
| Mobis Parts |
CA |
Fountain Valley |
Auto Parts |
33765 |
| JC Penney Purchasing Corp |
TX |
Plano |
Retail |
33249 |
| Bobs Discount Furniture Inc |
CT |
Manchester |
Furniture |
31856 |
| Sunbeam Products Inc |
FL |
Boca Raton |
Home Appliances |
29558 |
| Kubota Tractor Corporation |
TX |
Grapevine |
Agriculture |
28767 |
| Electrolux Company |
NC |
Charotte |
Home Appliances |
28433 |
| Keystone Automotive Tn Inc |
TN |
Nashville |
Auto Parts |
28323 |
| Toyota Tsusho America Inc |
NY |
New York |
Auto Parts |
28237 |
| Daimler/Chrysler/Fiat |
MI |
Auburn Hills |
Auto |
26457 |
| Hyundai Group |
CA |
Fountain Valley |
Auto |
25701 |
| Hanwha Q Cells Usa |
CA |
Irvine |
Solar |
24845 |
| Mattel Inc |
CA |
El Segundo |
Retail |
24825 |
| Continental Tire No. America |
SC |
Fort Mill |
Tires |
23515 |
| Nissan North America Inc |
TN |
Franklin |
Auto |
22577 |
| Raymour & Flanigan |
NY |
Liverpool |
Furniture |
22515 |
| Adidas America Inc |
OR |
Portland |
Retail |
22424 |
| Bridgestone Americas Tire |
TN |
Nashville |
Tires |
21202 |
| Dubal America Inc |
MO |
Saint Louis |
Aluminum Prod. |
20933 |
| Goodyear |
OH |
Akron |
Tires |
20587 |
| Yamaha Motor Corp |
CA |
Cypress |
Motorized Prod. |
20515 |
| Sumitomo Rubber |
NY |
Tonwanda |
Tires |
20480 |
| Subaru Of America Inc |
NJ |
Cherry Hill |
Auto |
20416 |
| Yokohama Tire Corporation |
CA |
Santa Ana |
Tires |
20346 |
| Trina Solar Us Inc |
CA |
San Jose |
Solar |
19770 |
| Coaster Of America Inc |
CA |
Santa Fe Springs |
Furniture |
19531 |
| Caterpillar Inc |
IL |
Peoria |
Machinery |
19468 |
| Pacific Cycle |
WI |
Madison |
Bicycle Importer |
18923 |
| Gea Products Lp |
CA |
Walnut |
Industrial Parts |
18914 |
| At Home Stores Llc |
TX |
Plano |
Furniture |
18693 |
| Southern Wine & Spirits |
FL |
Miami |
Beverage |
18685 |
| Under Armour Inc |
MD |
Baltimore |
Retail |
18326 |
| Euromarket Designs Inc |
IL |
Chicago |
Furniture |
17665 |
| Payless Shoesource Inc |
KS |
Topeka |
Shoe Retail |
17515 |
| Giti Tire Usa Ltd |
CA |
Rancho Cucamonga |
Tires |
17191 |
| Ta Chen International Inc |
CA |
Long Beach |
Industrial Parts |
17136 |
| Ricoh Americas Corporation |
CA |
Fontana |
Retail Electronics |
17052 |
| Cmpc Usa Inc |
GA |
Atlanta |
Paper/Plastics |
16921 |
| Jinkosolar U S Inc |
CA |
San Francisco |
Solar |
16800 |
| Skechers Usa Inc |
CA |
Manhattan Beach |
Shoe Retail |
16797 |
| Bissell Homecare Inc |
MI |
Grand Rapids |
Home Appliances |
16754 |
| E&E Co Ltd |
CA |
Fremont |
Furniture |
16572 |
| Toyo Tires Usa Corporation |
CA |
Cypress |
Tires |
16330 |
| Sharkninja Operating Llc |
MA |
Newton |
Home Appliances |
15922 |
| Lanxess Corp |
PA |
Pittsburgh |
Chemicals |
15863 |
| Graco Childrens Inc |
PA |
Exton |
Juvenile Retail |
15826 |
| Nextracker |
CA |
Fremont |
Solar |
15818 |
| Samsonite Corporation |
MA |
Mansfield |
Retail |
15657 |
| M&S Int’l (Marks & Spencer) |
UK |
London |
Retail |
15517 |
| Fred Meyer Inc |
OR |
Portland |
Supermarket |
15095 |
| Ms International Inc |
CA |
Orange |
Tile/Ceramics |
15083 |
| Black & Decker (Us) Inc. |
MD |
Towson |
Power Tools |
14709 |
| American Furniture WH |
CO |
Englewood |
Furniture |
14389 |
| Prime Wheel Corporation |
CA |
Gardena |
Auto Parts |
14193 |
| The William Carter Company |
GA |
Atlanta |
Juvenile Retail |
13994 |
| Pirelli Tire Llc |
GA |
Rome |
Tires |
13775 |
| Cost Plus Management Svs |
CA |
Oakland |
Retail |
13476 |
| Upm Kymmene Inc |
FI |
Helsinki |
Forest Industry |
13385 |
| Ameriwood Industrial Inc |
MO |
South Wright City |
Furniture |
13331 |
| Target |
MN |
Minneapolis |
Retail |
13083 |
| Costco Wholesale Corp |
WA |
Issaquah |
Retail |
12982 |
| Canadian Solar Usa Inc |
ON |
Guelph |
Solar |
12906 |
| Polo Ralph Lauren Corp |
NY |
New York |
Retail |
12734 |
| Solaris Paper Inc |
CA |
Santa Fe Springs |
Paper Products |
12617 |
| BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc |
MA |
Westborough |
Retail |
12513 |
| Pvh Corp |
NY |
New York |
Retail |
12479 |
| Honda North Americas Inc |
OH |
Raymond |
Auto |
12418 |
| Kia Motors America Inc |
CA |
Irvine |
Auto |
12327 |
| Keter North America Inc |
IN |
Carmel |
Plastic Products |
12247 |
| Nexen Tire America Inc |
CA |
Diamond Bar |
Tires |
12233 |
| Michael Kors |
NY |
New York |
Retail |
12195 |
| Qvc Inc |
PA |
West Chester |
Retail |
12066 |
| Volkswagen Of America Inc |
VA |
Herndon |
Auto |
11968 |
| Medical Depot Inc |
NY |
Port Washington |
Medical Equip. |
11776 |
| Kent Bicycles |
NJ |
Parsippany |
Bicycle Importer |
11622 |
| Olam |
CA |
Fresno |
Agri-Business |
11319 |
| Cooper Tire Rubber Company |
OH |
Findlay |
Tires |
11258 |
| Tireco Inc |
CA |
Gardena |
Tires |
11211 |
| Lowes |
NC |
Mooresville |
Retail |
11156 |
| Meijer Distribution Inc |
MI |
Grand Rapids |
Retail |
10898 |
| Central National Gottesman |
NY |
Purchase |
Pulp/Paper |
10851 |
| Wal Mart |
AR |
Bentonville |
Retail |
10647 |
| Homelite Consumer Products |
SC |
Anderson |
Outdoor Tools |
10415 |
| Jo-Ann Stores Inc |
OH |
Hudson |
Retail |
10285 |
| Feit Electric Company Inc |
CA |
Pico Rivera |
Light Bulbs |
10280 |
