What Are The Main Shipping Ports From America?

Port of Long Beach, California, United States

The United States of America has a significant shipping presence across the globe and the American continent – amounting to 75% of its total good transportation. Shipping contributes to 26% of the country’s economy through direct and indirect trading. There are more than 50 ports across the USA, handling 2363 million metric tonnes of cargo a year.

Our international freight forwarding experts have listed the largest and most significant ports in America.

Port of Los Angeles (California)

The largest port in America is the Port of Los Angeles, based on its size.  It manages 63,004,373 tons of freight a year, employing hundreds of thousands of people. It is well known for taking huge amounts of cargo from Asia and other places around the world.

Port of New York & New Jersey

The Port of New York & New Jersey serves as the top port on the Eastern coast, making up the entire coastal area of the New York Harbour. It spreads over 25 miles, with access to the Atlantic with a channel surface of 640 miles. As the third largest port in the US, it handles commodities such as petroleum, scrap metal, and bulk & break-bulk cargo. In 2019, it handled 136.6 million metric tonnes of cargo.

Port of Long Beach (California)

The Port of Long Beach is located next to the Port of Los Angeles. Together, these two ports are responsible for over 1/4 of total container trade in North America. Similar to Los Angeles, Long Beach is considered a major gateway for trade with Asia and so is a popular transportation route. Established in 1911, it now manages 85 million metric tonnes a year.

Port of Houston (Texas)

The Port of Houston is the busiest port in the US and the largest on the Gulf Coast – amounting to 284.9 million metric tonnes of cargo movement both inward and outwards of the US. It’s the 10th busiest port facility on the global rankings. Established in 1914, it covers 25 miles and handles 68% of the total Gulf Coast container traffic.

Port of Savannah (Georgia)

The Port of Savannah in Georgia is the largest single-terminal container facility in the country, responsible for 41.9 million tons of freight. It’s home to major facilities that are dedicated to shipping, storage, and inland distribution.

Another Georgia port, the Port of Brunswick, is considered the top port for new auto important and has over 500 acres of land leased or owned by the auto industry.

Port of Savannah, Georgia, United States

Port of Virginia

The Port of Virginia handles 11.6% of the East coast’s total throughput via its 5 major terminals. Its strategic position means it takes just 2.5 hours for the ships to reach the open sea. It also has a well-connected railway that allows a third of the cargo to arrive and depart via rail freight. All of this has attracted multinationals such as Amazon and Navien, who have set up operations in the state.

Port of Oakland (California)

The Port of Oakland is situated on the Pacific coast and is responsible for 19.3 million tons of freight each year. It is one of the busiest ports in the US based on the number of containers it processes – handling 99% of containerised goods moving in and out of North California. It features three container terminals and two intermodal rail facilities.

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