Western Railroad Discussion > Top Ten US Importers and Exporters 2015

Journal of Commerce May 30 2016 list the top 100 importers and exporters by teus for 2015. I have listed the top ten

IMPORTERS

1  Walmart                 795900
2  Target                    537000
3  Home Depot           352900
4  Lowes                    261500
5  Dole Foods            216800
6  Samsung              159300
7  Family Dollar         153299
8 LG Group               142300
9 Chiquita                  142000
10 Ikea                      135500

EXPORTERS

1 American Chung Nam        356500       waste paper
2 Koch Ind                          261800       cotton lumber
3 International Paper           144400       paper prod
4 Denison/Ralison               114800       waste paper
5 Delong                             93800        grain
6 International Forest           84000
7 Lansing Trade                  78900        grain and seeds
8 Dupont                            77600        plastic pellets
9 Westrock                        76500        chemiocals
10 Newport CH                  71400         waste paper

28 Walmart                       45800

FYI

Dale Smith

No autos or parts, that's interesting

Posted from Android

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No autos or parts, that's interesting

Most autos are transported Ro-Ro and so are not included in the lists which are for waterborne containerized imports and exports only.

Auto parts and motorcycles (they both belong to the same US Customs two-digit commodity code) accounted for 6.7% of total waterborne containerized imports from the Far East to the USA in 2015. The auto parts in this code are mostly spare parts for the dealer network and for auto parts dealers, not parts for assembly plants. Parts for assembly plants nowadays are almost all domestically sourced.

Best regards,

Rob L.

I wonder what Walmart exports?

     Could you explain the secret code of ' Ro-Ro ' ?

I believe it is short for "Roll-on, Roll-off".  As in the vehicles are driven on and off the ship.

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder what Walmart exports?

I suppose scrap corrugated. From all the Chinese boxes they opened. They probably found out they could do better transporting the corrugated to Asia and selling it to Asian paper companies themselves instead of just selling it on-site to American recyclers.

Best regards,

Rob L.

rob_l Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > No autos or parts, that's interesting
>
> Most autos are transported Ro-Ro and so are not
> included in the lists which are for waterborne
> containerized imports and exports only.
>
> Auto parts and motorcycles (they both belong
> to the same US Customs two-digit commodity code)
> accounted for 6.7% of total waterborne
> containerized imports from the Far East to the
> USA in 2015. The auto parts in this code are
> mostly spare parts for the dealer network and for
> auto parts dealers, not parts for assembly plants.
> Parts for assembly plants nowadays are almost all
> domestically sourced.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Rob L.

Thanks very much, I hadn't thought about it that way.

Imagine the economic impact if these companies decided to source their products from American producers, vs. overseas.  Yes, it would take time to build back up, but Home Depot alone could change the tool industry.  Ofcourse, they're known for "reverse engineering" a product from an established company, then making it in China, then re-branding it with their name, and leaving that original company in the dust.  It's why I don't give them my money.

Heaven knows we need more jobs here, which = more transportation needs, too.

 

Most products are a combination of capital (tools, equipment, raw materials, etc) and labor expertise.  China is outsourcing much of its low labor skill work to Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc. That's why so much of the clothing the US imports comes from those countries, where labor costs are low, even by Chinese standards.

In contrast, the Chinese are improving labor skills as they produce higher quality and more labor intensive work like Apple phones, Samsung TV sets, automotive part for domestic and export markets.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most products are a combination of capital (tools,
> equipment, raw materials, etc) and labor
> expertise.  China is outsourcing much of its low
> labor skill work to Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri
> Lanka, etc. That's why so much of the clothing the
> US imports comes from those countries, where labor
> costs are low, even by Chinese standards.
>
> In contrast, the Chinese are improving labor
> skills as they produce higher quality and more
> labor intensive work like Apple phones, Samsung TV
> sets, automotive part for domestic and export
> markets.

You give China way too much credit. Proper re-wording: AMERICAN RETAILERS and OEMS have shifted their sourcing of low-skill labor work to vendors in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc. The products requiring higher quality and a more more sophisticated workfocrce continue to be sourced by AMERICAN RETAILERS and OEMS from China.

Best regards,

Rob L.