🇺🇸 United States imports of ships: 2024 trade data
The United States imported $1.21 billion of ships in 2024 (229.1 thousand tonnes). Its share of world imports was 1%. Value fell 83% from 2023. Over 2017-2024 it shrank by about 11% a year on average. The peak in this period was 2023, at $7.10 billion.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of ships by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1.21B | 229.1K t |
| 2023 | $7.10B | 564.4K t |
| 2022 | $1.77B | 106.5K t |
| 2021 | $3.35B | 282.8K t |
| 2020 | $4.48B | 479.4K t |
| 2019 | $2.12B | 433.9K t |
| 2018 | $4.28B | 433.8K t |
| 2017 | $2.73B | 381.5K t |
Where the United States imports ships from
Italy alone supplied 54% of it. Among the main suppliers, Angola grew fastest (+594% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $650.7M | 54% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $244.0M | 20% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $149.1M | 12% |
| 🇦🇴 Angola | $67.8M | 5.6% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | $37.7M | 3.1% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $25.4M | 2.1% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $9.1M | 0.8% |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | $8.4M | 0.7% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $7.6M | 0.6% |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $4.6M | 0.4% |
Types of ships under HS 8901
| 8901.10 | Cruise ships, excursion boats and similar vessels, principally designed for the transport of persons, ferry boats of all kinds | 54% |
| 8901.20 | Tankers | 31% |
| 8901.90 | Vessels: n.e.c. in heading no. 8901, for the transport of goods and other vessels for the transport of both persons and goods | 15% |
| 8901.30 | Vessels, refrigerated: other than tankers | 0% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 8901.
Average import price of ships
The average declared value was about $5.29 per kg, 107% above the world average of $2.55. This usually points to higher-grade or processed goods.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United States also exports ships
In 2024, the United States exported ships worth $273.3 million (319.2 thousand tonnes). South Korea alone took 78% of it. Among the main buyer markets, South Korea grew fastest (+549% on the year before).
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | $214.2M | 78% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | $19.4M | 7.1% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $12.2M | 4.5% |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | $5.5M | 2% |
| 🇧🇸 Bahamas | $4.8M | 1.8% |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | $2.6M | 1% |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | $2.3M | 0.8% |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | $2.1M | 0.8% |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | $1.9M | 0.7% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | $1.3M | 0.5% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United States?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Direct customs feed: shipment-level records from the official customs source.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 8901: Cruise ships, excursion boats, ferry-boats, cargo ships, barges and similar vessels for the transport of persons or goods.
Ships trade in the United States: questions
What is the value of ships imported by the United States?
The United States imported ships worth $1.21 billion in 2024 (229.1 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United States import ships from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Italy (54%), India (20%), China (12%).
What is the average import price of ships in the United States?
The average declared import value was about $5.29 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $2.55 per kg.
Does the United States export ships?
Yes. The United States exported ships worth $273.3 million in 2024, mainly to South Korea, Mexico, Canada.
What is the HS code for ships?
Ships falls under HS heading 8901 (Cruise ships, excursion boats, ferry-boats, cargo ships, barges and similar vessels for the transport of persons or good). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading ships with the United States?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX has a direct customs feed for the United States with shipment-level records, updated weekly, where you can see the importers and exporters by name.
Ships trade in other countries
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