US distributors, wholesalers and component suppliers
Describe what you need to buy
Verified US ocean import records
US companies you can buy from without importing, identified on US ocean import records: what each one stocks, which factories supply it, and how recently. Matched on what companies actually imported — US-based companies come first here; the overseas factories follow.
Data window: Jan 1, 2026 – Aug 19, 2026Updated Aug 30, 2026Source: US ocean import recordsMethodology
This directory lists 32,309 US-addressed importers of record — 22,525 distributors, 9,077 component suppliers and 707 manufacturers’ US sales arms — classified from what they import and from whom. An import record is evidence that a company actually stocks the goods and has a working supply line. It does not state prices, terms or a sales model, so confirm those with the company.
Key facts
Dataset snapshot as of Aug 30, 2026. Definitions on the methodology page.
Why an import record helps when buying domestically
- Stocking evidence. A bill of lading shows the goods physically arrived at this company, in what volume, and when.
- Source factories. The shipper on each record is the overseas supplier — so you can see who makes what a distributor sells, and compare it with buying direct.
- Product categories. Descriptions and HS codes are the filer’s own words for what moved, across every shipment in the window.
- Recency. The latest shipment date is the best available signal that a supply line is live today.
Companies by industry
What the data shows: food_beverage and machinery_industrial account for the two largest groups: 4,566 (14%) and 3,909 (12%) of 32,309 companies across 29 industries.
Company counts by the industry of what they import. Each bar opens the industry page, which lists the most active US-based companies beside the most active overseas factories.
Most active US importers by ocean shipments
Ranked by shipments in the analysed window, Jan 1, 2026 – Aug 19, 2026. Activity, not a ranking of quality or service.
The most active company in the window, Samsung Electronics America Inc, received 3,563 shipments from 43 suppliers.
How to read this data
Import records show that goods moved to a company. They do not verify product quality, certifications, stock on hand today, pricing, or whether the company sells wholesale. Source, definitions and limitations: methodology. The overseas factories behind these importers are in the supplier directory.
Frequently asked questions
Why use import records to find a domestic supplier?
An import record shows that a US company actually stocks the goods: what it imports, from which factories, in what volume, and how recently. That is evidence of a working supply line, which a catalogue or a directory listing is not.
What is the difference between a distributor, a component supplier and a sales arm?
A distributor (22,525 listed) buys finished goods and resells to other businesses. A component supplier (9,077) is a US-based manufacturer whose products go into other manufacturers’ products. A manufacturer’s sales arm (707) imports its own group’s goods and sells them in the US. Each is classified from what it imports and from whom.
Are these companies wholesalers?
Many distributors sell wholesale, but the classification is made from customs records, which do not state a company’s sales model. Treat ‘distributor’ as ‘imports and resells to businesses’, and confirm terms with the company.
How many companies are listed?
32,309 US-based companies, importing from 40,672 overseas suppliers, as of the Aug 30, 2026 data update.
Where does the data come from?
US ocean import records — the bills of lading filed with US Customs and Border Protection for sea freight entering the United States. Each record names the shipper, the consignee, the product description, the ports and the carrier. Air, road and rail freight are not included.
Does import activity prove product quality?
No. Shipment counts, buyers and recency show trade activity only. They do not verify product quality, certifications, production capacity, minimum order quantities, pricing, lead times, or whether a company will take on a new buyer. Use the evidence to shortlist, then verify directly.