Popular Imports to the USA & Canada

Common and Popular Commodities Imported to the USA and Canada from Around the World

What North America buys most, what it costs to ship, and a real landed cost example

What This Title Means

Every day, thousands of containers land at ports like Los Angeles, New York, Savannah, Vancouver and Montreal. Most carry the same kinds of goods again and again. These are the common and popular commodities imported to the USA and Canada, goods people buy all year round.

Top Commodities Imported to the USA and Canada

• Machinery and computers: the biggest US import, worth about $665 billion in 2025

• Electronics: phones, chips and appliances from China, Vietnam and Taiwan

• Vehicles and auto parts: mainly from Mexico, Japan and Germany

• Pharmaceuticals: from Ireland, Switzerland and India

• Apparel and home textiles: from Vietnam, China, Bangladesh and India

• Furniture and home decor: from China, Vietnam and Italy

• Canada imports a similar mix, mostly from the USA, China and Mexico.

What Is the Cost per Container?

Freight depends on the liner, the route and the sailing date. Here are sample all-in, port-to-port rates for upcoming sailings, priced against current market levels

Asia to the US East Coast is the costliest route right now, while Europe to the US costs far less. A 20-footer usually costs 60 to 65 percent of a 40-footer. From India, CMA CGM’s peak season surcharge (PSS) narrows that gap, so always ask for an all-in quote.

How to Calculate Landed Cost

Let’s use one real product: 100% cotton terry bath towels from India, HTS 6302.60.00. The duty has two parts. The base rate is 9.1%, and since 24 July 2026 most Indian goods also pay a 10% Section 301 duty. That makes 19.1% in total, plus small US Customs fees (MPF and HMF). You can check this with the Atmavaan HS Code Classification tool and Tariff Simulator.

We use the CMA CGM Chennai to Los Angeles rate and an FOB price of $2.50 per towel. A 20-footer holds about 450 cartons (10,800 towels, 6,750 kg). A 40-footer holds about 950 cartons (22,800 towels, 14,250 kg). Both stay well under the legal road weight limit, which caps cargo because the truck, chassis, container and cargo cannot pass 80,000 lbs together.

Which Commodities Suit a 40-Foot Container Best?

A 40-foot container gives about 67 CBM of space, double a 20-footer, but only about 6,000 lbs more weight allowance. So it suits light, bulky goods that fill the box before they hit the weight limit, just like our towels.

Furniture and home decor: large, light and needs room

Apparel and home textiles: packs tightly in high volume

Boxed electronics and appliances: take space, not weight

Toys and sporting goods: bulky cartons, low weight

Heavy goods like tiles, stone or metal parts suit a 20-footer better.

Plan your sailing with the Atmavaan Vessel Schedule and follow your box with Container Tracking.