The Port of Charleston is the fastest-growing Southeast container port and the primary gateway for South Carolina's booming automotive and manufacturing sector. BMW, Volvo, Boeing, and Michelin all have major SC operations served by this port. Find who is importing what using public CBP manifest data.
| # | Commodity Category | Volume | Top Origins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive Parts & Vehicles | $10B+/yr | Germany, South Korea, Japan |
| 2 | Consumer Goods | $8B+/yr | China, Vietnam, India |
| 3 | Chemicals & Polymers | $5B+/yr | Germany, Netherlands, Belgium |
| 4 | Rubber & Tires | $3B+/yr | France, Germany, China |
| 5 | Machinery & Equipment | $4B+/yr | Germany, Japan, Italy |
| Country | Port Share | Main Cargo |
|---|---|---|
| China | ~35% | Consumer goods, furniture, electronics, machinery |
| Germany | ~14% | Automotive, industrial, chemicals, machinery |
| Japan | ~9% | Automotive, electronics, aerospace composites |
| South Korea | ~8% | Automotive, steel, chemicals, electronics |
| France | ~5% | Tires, chemicals, food, luxury goods |
BMW's US manufacturing hub is in Spartanburg, SC — just 250 miles from Charleston. BMW imports massive volumes of components and sub-assemblies from Germany and South Korea through Charleston. Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers to BMW are among the port's largest import accounts.
Boeing assembles the 787 Dreamliner in North Charleston. Aerospace components, composites, and advanced materials from Japan, Germany, and Italy arrive through Charleston for Boeing and its supplier network. A highly specialized freight niche.
The Carolinas have attracted significant European industrial investment — Michelin, BMW, Bosch, Continental, Daimler Trucks, and others. European machinery, tooling, and industrial supplies for these operations flow through Charleston.
Representative records from US CBP public manifest filings at Port of Charleston
| Shipper | Product | US Consignee | Vessel | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW AG GERMANY | AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS | BMW MANUFACTURING SC | GRANDE CONGO | 180,000 KG |
| MICHELIN FRANCE SA | TIRE MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT | MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA | ERNST RUSS | 48,400 KG |
| TORAY INDUSTRIES JAPAN | CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES | BOEING COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT | MAERSK HONAM | 12,200 KG |
| CONTINENTAL AG GERMANY | AUTOMOTIVE SENSORS | CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE | MSC ELOANE | 22,800 KG |
"automotive components" or "BMW" parts imports at Charleston"aerospace" or "composite materials" Boeing supplier imports"tire" or "rubber" imports from France, Germany for Michelin"machinery" or "industrial equipment" from Germany, Italy, Japan"chemicals" or "polymer" European chemical imports to CarolinasBMW's Spartanburg plant produces the highest-value vehicles of any US auto plant (primarily SUVs — X3, X5, X7). Component imports through Charleston are massive and consistent. This is a premium freight account that automotive-specialized brokers compete hard for.
Charleston's 52-foot harbor depth (post-deepening) allows the largest container ships to call directly. This attracts new Asia-to-Charleston service lanes that previously went only to NY/NJ, benefiting Carolina importers with faster transit times.
As Savannah gets congested, some importers are shifting volumes to Charleston. This creates new freight relationships every quarter as importers evaluate Charleston as a primary or secondary port. Manifest data captures these shifts as they happen.
Automotive is Charleston's highest-profile category due to BMW, but the port handles a full mix including consumer goods, chemicals, rubber, machinery, and agricultural products. The BMW/aerospace specialization gives it a unique industrial import niche among SE ports.
Yes. Boeing's 787 Dreamliner assembly in North Charleston draws composite materials, titanium components, and precision parts from Japan (Mitsubishi, Kawasaki) and Italy (Leonardo). These appear in manifest data under aerospace product categories.
Both serve the Southeast automotive and distribution market, but Charleston has a heavier concentration of European industrial imports (German automotive, French tire/rubber, Italian aerospace) while Savannah is more weighted toward Asian consumer goods.
Yes. Charleston added more container volume percentage-wise in 2022–2024 than any other major East Coast port. New vessel services, the harbor deepening project, and SC industrial growth make it one of the most attractive markets for new freight broker relationships.
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