UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WOMEN'S LONG SLEEVE SWEATER IMPORTERS LIST (PNUM7044)

Updated: 2026-10-13 | Writer: TurkExim | Page ID: PNUM7044

The United States of America women's long sleeve sweater importers list provides international trade intelligence on US companies that import women's knitted sweaters and pullovers from overseas suppliers. This page presents a sample bill of lading record for Thyme Apparel, a Los Angeles-based apparel importer that received a shipment of women's long sleeve sweaters from Weihai Lianqiao International Cooperation in Weihai, China. The shipment arrived at the Port of Los Angeles on July 28, 2017, aboard the container vessel YM Enhancer (voyage 090E), carrying 540 cartons weighing 1,743 kg (3,835 lb).

This bill of lading data is drawn from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) manifest records, which are made publicly available for trade analysis and commercial intelligence purposes. The data reveals the importer-exporter relationship, product description, shipping route, carrier information, and packaging details for this specific women's sweater import transaction. Trade analysts, competitor intelligence professionals, apparel industry researchers, and Chinese garment manufacturers seeking US buyers can use this type of data to map the US women's sweater import supply chain and identify potential buyers or suppliers.

1. Bill of Lading — Key Fields at a Glance

The table below reproduces the public US customs manifest data for the July 28, 2017 Thyme Apparel shipment. Each field corresponds to a column in the underlying CBP manifest dataset.

Three observations stand out. First, the carrier code "PRIM" in the house B/L number (PRIMQS17070403) indicates that the freight forwarder or NVOCC handling this shipment was Prime Logistics or a similarly named company — the "PRIM" prefix is their SCAC-style identifier. Second, the master B/L KKLUTAO727142 has the prefix "KKLU," which corresponds to K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha), a major Japanese shipping line — this indicates the master bill was issued by K Line's Taicang operation, while the house bill was issued by the forwarder to Thyme Apparel. Third, the "N/M" (No Marks) in the marks and numbers field indicates that the cartons were not marked with shipping marks — this is common for apparel shipments where the product is packaged in generic cartons without specialized marking.

2. Product and HS Code Analysis (6110)

The product in this shipment — "women's long sleeve sweater" — falls under HS heading 6110, which covers "Sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, waistcoats and similar articles, knitted." This is one of the most significant HS headings in the US apparel import market, representing billions of dollars in annual imports.

3. Importer Profile — Thyme Apparel

Thyme Apparel is the consignee (buyer/importer) of this shipment, based at 738 East 14th Street, Unit A, Los Angeles, CA 90021, USA. The company is located in downtown Los Angeles — specifically in the Fashion District (also known as the Garment District), a historic hub of the Los Angeles apparel industry. The Fashion District is home to hundreds of apparel companies including manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and fashion designers, making it a natural location for an apparel import business.

The name "Thyme Apparel" suggests a fashion apparel company — potentially a brand, a wholesaler, or an import/distribution company serving retail customers. The fact that the company imports women's long sleeve sweaters from China indicates it is involved in the sourcing and distribution of knitted garments, likely supplying US retailers, boutiques, or e-commerce channels. Los Angeles is one of the two main US apparel import hubs (along with New York), and companies based there benefit from proximity to the Port of Los Angeles — the largest container port in the US — which enables efficient receipt of Asian apparel imports.

Business Model

Thyme Apparel likely operates under one of several apparel import business models: (1) Brand owner — designs and brands its own clothing line, sourced from overseas manufacturers; (2) Wholesale distributor — imports finished garments and sells them to US retailers and boutiques; (3) Private label supplier — manufactures private-label apparel for US retail chains; or (4) E-commerce retailer — imports and sells directly to consumers through online channels. The shipment of 540 cartons (approximately 1,743 kg) represents a moderate-size order — consistent with a seasonal apparel collection or a restocking shipment for a small-to-mid-size apparel business.

4. Supplier Profile — Weihai Lianqiao International Cooperation

Weihai Lianqiao International Cooperation is the manufacturer/shipper of this shipment, based at No. 269, West Wenhua Road, Hi-Tech Development Zone, Weihai, China. The company is located in Weihai, a coastal city in Shandong Province in eastern China. Weihai is part of the broader Shandong textile and garment manufacturing region, which is one of China's key apparel production hubs.

Weihai — Apparel Manufacturing Hub

Weihai is a major apparel and textile manufacturing city in Shandong Province, located on the northeastern coast of China facing South Korea across the Yellow Sea. The city's apparel industry benefits from: (1) a long history of textile and garment manufacturing expertise; (2) proximity to Qingdao (one of China's largest container ports and the port of loading for this shipment); (3) a skilled labor force with experience in knitwear and sweater production; (4) lower labor costs compared to southern Chinese manufacturing cities (Shenzhen, Guangzhou); and (5) favorable trade logistics for transpacific shipments to the US West Coast.

Company Profile

The company name "Weihai Lianqiao International Cooperation" suggests a Chinese trading company or manufacturer with international trade capabilities. The term "International Cooperation" (国际合作社 or similar) in the company name indicates the company may be structured as a cooperative or international trade enterprise — a common corporate form for Chinese export-oriented manufacturers. The "Hi-Tech Development Zone" address indicates the company is located in one of China's designated high-technology industrial parks, which offer tax incentives, modern infrastructure, and streamlined customs procedures for export-oriented businesses.

5. Shipping Route — Qingdao to Los Angeles

The shipment traveled from Qingdao (Ching Tao), China to Los Angeles, California, USA aboard the container vessel YM Enhancer (voyage 090E). Qingdao is one of China's largest container ports and the primary export gateway for the Shandong Province manufacturing region. Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the United States and the primary West Coast gateway for Asian apparel imports.

Qingdao Port — China's Northern Gateway

The Port of Qingdao is China's fourth-largest container port by throughput, handling over 25 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) annually. Qingdao serves as the primary export port for the Shandong, Henan, and Shaanxi provinces — major manufacturing regions for textiles, apparel, machinery, and chemicals. The port's modern container terminals, automated handling systems, and deep-water berths can accommodate the largest container vessels in service. For apparel exporters in Weihai (approximately 260 km from Qingdao by road), Qingdao is the natural export gateway.

Los Angeles Port — US West Coast Gateway

The Port of Los Angeles, together with the adjacent Port of Long Beach, forms the San Pedro Bay port complex — the largest container port complex in the Western Hemisphere. The port handles approximately 10 million TEU annually, with apparel and textile products being a significant import category. Los Angeles is the preferred port of entry for US apparel importers based in the western US (California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada) and for transcontinental shipments via intermodal rail to major inland distribution centers in Chicago, Memphis, Dallas, and Atlanta.

Transit Time and Logistics

The transpacific route from Qingdao to Los Angeles is approximately 5,800 nautical miles, with a typical transit time of 14–18 days for a direct sailing. The shipment's arrival date of July 28, 2017, suggests the vessel departed Qingdao in early-to-mid July 2017. The container KKTU7391996 (with KKTU prefix indicating a K-line owned or leased container) was loaded at Qingdao and discharged at Los Angeles, after which it would have been drayed to Thyme Apparel's facility or to a customs-bonded warehouse for clearance.

6. US Women's Sweater Import Market

The United States is the world's largest importer of women's sweaters and knitwear. Annual US imports of women's sweaters, pullovers, and cardigans (HS 6110) exceed $4 billion, with China being the dominant supplier. The US women's sweater import market is characterized by strong seasonality — import volumes peak in the spring (March–May) for fall/winter product delivery and in late summer (July–September) for holiday season inventory building.

Top Supplier Countries for US Women's Sweater Imports

China's Dominance in US Sweater Imports

China's dominance in US women's sweater imports is driven by several factors: (1) a fully vertically integrated supply chain — from yarn production through knitting, dyeing, finishing, and packaging; (2) the world's largest concentration of knitwear manufacturing facilities, particularly in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Shandong provinces; (3) competitive pricing enabled by economies of scale and efficient production; (4) fast turnaround times — Chinese factories can typically produce and ship sweater orders within 4–8 weeks; and (5) broad product capabilities — Chinese manufacturers produce sweaters in all fiber types (cotton, wool, acrylic, cashmere, blends) and all styles (crew neck, V-neck, cardigan, turtleneck, etc.). The US-China trade tensions and Section 301 tariffs (imposed starting in 2018) have led to some diversification of sweater sourcing away from China, but China remains the dominant supplier.

7. Frequently Asked Questions