Trade has become an increasingly important part of the U.S. economy over the past several decades, rising from 10.8% of the nation’s GDP in 1970 to 23.4% as of 2020. America’s ports serve as the foundation of the country’s growing international trade sector, handling over 95% of all cargo entering the United States.
Ports are transportation hubs that connect international marine highways to domestic trade routes, and they are often a major source of jobs and revenue in the areas they are located. The busiest ports in America act as key economic infrastructure and can also play an important role in national defense and emergency preparedness. (This is the most import dependent economy in the world.)
To determine America’s busiest ports, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center, compiled by the American Association of Port Authorities. U.S. ports were ranked based on the total amount of incoming and outgoing cargo volume in 2019. All other data came from the American Association of Port Authorities.
Petroleum is America’s principal export, accounting for 12.7% of export good value in 2020. As a result, many of the country’s busiest ports are located in the Gulf Coast states, which – together with federal offshore production in the Gulf of Mexico – account for 70.5% of total U.S. crude oil production. As of 2019, 12 of the 25 busiest ports in the United States were situated in the Gulf Coast. (These are 15 countries that control the world’s oil.)
While most of America’s busiest ports engage in both foreign and domestic trade, some inland ports along the country’s major shipping waterways deal exclusively in domestic goods. Three of the 25 busiest U.S. ports – the Port of Huntington Tri-State, the Ports of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, and the Port of Metropolitan St. Louis – are inland ports that facilitate domestic trade along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
Click here to see the America’s busiest cities for international trade
Source: John David Mercer / Hulton Archive via Getty Images
25. Port of Pascagoula, MS
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 25.8 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 17.0 million tons (65.8% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 8.8 million tons (34.2% of total)
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Source: Alfred Twu / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
24. Port of Richmond, CA
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 28.5 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 21.2 million tons (74.5% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 7.3 million tons (25.5% of total)
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Source: via Facebook / courtesy of Port Freeport
23. Port Freeport, TX
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 29.8 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 26.0 million tons (87.0% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 3.9 million tons (13.0% of total)
22. Port of Tampa Bay, FL
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 30.0 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 11.9 million tons (39.7% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 18.1 million tons (60.3% of total)
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Source: Art Wager / Getty Images
21. Port of Metropolitan St. Louis, MO
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 31.3 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 0 tons (0.0% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 31.3 million tons (100.0% of total)
20. Port of Duluth-Superior, MN/WI
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 33.7 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 7.4 million tons (21.8% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 26.4 million tons (78.2% of total)
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
19. Port of Port Arthur, TX
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 33.9 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 22.7 million tons (66.8% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 11.3 million tons (33.2% of total)
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Source: wsfurlan / Getty Images
18. Ports of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, OH/KY
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 36.6 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 0 tons (0.0% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 36.6 million tons (100.0% of total)
17. Port of Huntington Tri-State, KY/OH/WV
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 36.8 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 0 tons (0.0% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 36.8 million tons (100.0% of total)
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Source: Art Wager / iStock via Getty Images
16. Port of Texas City, TX
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 41.3 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 24.6 million tons (59.6% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 16.7 million tons (40.4% of total)
Source: Stephen Morton / Getty Images News via Getty Images
15. Port of Savannah, GA
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 41.9 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 41.0 million tons (97.8% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 926,459 tons (2.2% of total)
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14. Port of Baltimore, MD
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 44.2 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 37.6 million tons (85.1% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 6.6 million tons (14.9% of total)
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Source: Mario Tama / Getty Images News via Getty Images
13. Plaquemines Port Harbor, LA
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 52.8 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 23.8 million tons (45.1% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 29.0 million tons (54.9% of total)
Source: Jeff Gammons / Getty Images News via Getty Images
12. Port of Mobile, AL
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 56.9 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 37.2 million tons (65.4% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 19.7 million tons (34.6% of total)
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Source: via Facebook / courtesy of Port of Lake Charles
11. Port of Lake Charles, LA
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 58.0 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 26.3 million tons (45.2% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 31.8 million tons (54.8% of total)
Source: nojustice / Port of Virginia
10. Port of Virginia
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 61.7 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 57.2 million tons (92.7% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 4.5 million tons (7.3% of total)
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Source: USGS Uploaded by DHN / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
9. Port of Los Angeles, CA
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 63.0 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 56.3 million tons (89.3% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 6.8 million tons (10.7% of total)
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Source: Roberto Michel / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
8. Port of Greater Baton Rouge, LA
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 73.4 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 30.0 million tons (40.9% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 43.4 million tons (59.1% of total)
Source: cbpphotos / Flickr
7. Port of Long Beach, CA
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 80.7 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 71.2 million tons (88.2% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 9.5 million tons (11.8% of total)
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Source: Mario Tama / Getty Images News via Getty Images
6. Port of New Orleans, LA
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 92.2 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 44.0 million tons (47.7% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 48.2 million tons (52.3% of total)
Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
5. Port of Beaumont, TX
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 101.1 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 64.2 million tons (63.5% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 36.9 million tons (36.5% of total)
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Source: RoschetzkyIstockPhoto / iStock via Getty Images
4. Port of Corpus Christi, TX
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 111.2 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 85.4 million tons (76.8% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 25.8 million tons (23.2% of total)
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Source: Michael Brown / Getty Images News via Getty Images
3. Port of New York & New Jersey
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 136.6 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 91.3 million tons (66.8% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 45.3 million tons (33.2% of total)
Source: via Facebook / courtesy of Port of South Louisiana
2. Port of South Louisiana, LA
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 238.0 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 115.6 million tons (48.6% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 122.3 million tons (51.4% of total)
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Source: Art Wager / Getty Images
1. Port of Houston, TX
> Total cargo volume, 2019: 284.9 million tons
> Foreign trade volume, 2019: 209.8 million tons (73.6% of total)
> Domestic trade volume, 2019: 75.2 million tons (26.4% of total)
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