Shipped Where
Imported, 2025Imported 2025
$1 billion$1B
vs 2010
1.1× (nominal)
Arrived by shipBy ship
59%
Busiest portTop port
Savannah, GA

The US buys the most pens from China: 33% of $1 billion.

Mexico is a close second at 25%. Ballpoint, felt-tip and fountain pens.

Where US pens come from, 2025Where it comes from

Share by value of the $1B the US imported, by country of originShare by value, by country of origin

  1. 01China$0.33B33.0%
  2. 02Mexico$0.25B24.9%
  3. 03Japan$0.20B20.2%
  4. 04Germany$51.0M5.0%
  5. 05India$35.4M3.5%
  6. 06Vietnam$23.2M2.3%
  7. 07France$18.8M1.8%
  8. 08Taiwan$18.0M1.8%
  9. 09Malaysia$16.9M1.7%
  10. 10South Korea$16.7M1.6%
  11. All othersEveryone else combined: $42.8M4.2%

Total US pens imports by year · $931M in 2010 to $1B in 2025Replay the ranking year by year, 2010 to 2025

2025Press play to replay the ranking

Then and now: 2015 vs 2025Then and now

Each country's share of US pens imports. Gray bar is 2015, colored bar is 2025.Share of US pens imports. Gray is 2015, color is 2025.

Mexico10% → 25%
Vietnam1.2% → 2.3%
Malaysia1.1% → 1.7%
Germany5% → 5%
India3.5% → 3.5%
Taiwan2.4% → 1.8%
France2.7% → 1.8%
South Korea2.7% → 1.6%
Japan27% → 20%
China40% → 33%
2015 share2025, gained2025, lost

Where it's made

Bigger circle = more value, 2025. Numbers match the list.

Most imported pens are made in East Asia. China and Japan send 53% between them, and India, Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia add another 9%. Mexico sends 25% from Latin America.

0102030405060708
0102030405060708
  1. 01China
  2. 02Mexico
  3. 03Japan
  4. 04Germany
  5. 05India
  6. 06Vietnam
  7. 07France
  8. 08Taiwan

Where it lands

US port where it entered, 2025. Letters match the list.

59% arrives by ship, almost all in containers, mostly through East and West Coast ports. Savannah takes 18%. Calexico East and Los Angeles follow at 17% and 14%.

ABCDEF
ABCDEF
  1. ASavannah, GA $0.18B
  2. BCalexico East, CA $0.17B
  3. CLos Angeles, CA $0.14B
  4. DLaredo, TX $92.3M
  5. ENewark, NJ $81.2M
  6. FLong Beach, CA $49.0M
More detail: states listed on entry paperworkMore detail: states on paperwork

This is the destination written on customs forms, often a warehouse or distributor near the port. It is not where the pens is used.

Three states are listed for over $100M each.

  1. 01Georgia$0.24B
  2. 02Florida$0.13B
  3. 03California$0.13B
  4. 04North Carolina$94.2M
  5. 05Texas$56.3M
$100M+$40–100M$10–40M$1–10MUnder $1M

Counted under HS 9608. How we count.