The United States is the world’s largest economy. Its weight in global trade is enormous, both in terms of exports and imports. This means that its ports and airports have huge flows of goods. In this article, we will get to know what the main cargo hubs in the United States are.

Although Hong Kong Airport recently claimed the top spot worldwide, US terminals are still contenders. While Chinese terminals have become increasingly important in recent years, some of the most important logistics hubs in the world are still located in North America.

According to the Airports Council International (ACI) World, in its list of the 10 airports with the most cargo traffic, five airports in the United States are included. Some are related to activities in their area, while others are related to the region in which they are located in this vast country.

Memphis Airport, the cargo king

One of the titans in the world of air cargo is Memphis Airport, in the state of Tennessee. Until 2021, it was the busiest airport in the world, but in 2022, Hong Kong surpassed it. Although it lost some of its transported volume the previous year, it still handles over 4 million tons annually, a figure only reached by the top two on the podium.

Memphis is the operations center for FedEx, the huge global courier and cargo company. This is the main reason Memphis holds its place in the ranking. This airport plays an essential role in the company’s distribution network, both nationally and globally. As a result, Memphis Airport is globally recognized for its efficiency in handling large cargo volumes and its prominent place in international trade.

Anchorage Airport, the northernmost

The United States places third on the list, displacing Shanghai Airport from the last place on the podium. The bronze medal goes to Anchorage Airport, located in Alaska.

The reasons why this airport is so far north on this list are varied and have to do with its peculiar geographical location. Firstly, many more goods arrive by air due to Alaska’s remoteness from the rest of the United States. But even more important is its role in connecting with Asia and the Pacific.

Like Memphis, FedEx plays a key role here, with a powerful logistics center to connect with the East. But also, other companies, such as UPS, have an important logistics point in this city for their operations.

Large cargo transport companies have a significant presence at Anchorage Airport for two reasons. The first has to do with corporate strategy: carrying more cargo and less fuel. This forces airlines to refuel to complete their journey.

The second reason intersects with regulation. The United States government allows foreign aircraft to unload and load cargo between them at this airport with much fewer regulations than in other spaces, making it a powerful logistics hub.

Louisville International Airport, dedicated to cargo

In Kentucky, Cincinnati has the airport with the most passenger traffic. In fact, Louisville does not even have international flights and only connects the city with other destinations in the United States. However, that does not detract from it being the fifth busiest cargo airport in the world.

The answer is similar to what happens in Memphis: a large company has its logistics hub here. Just like the city in Tennessee, the geographical location of this city makes it perfect for UPS to have its operations base here.

Miami and Los Angeles, at both ends

The list of the top five US airports in terms of traffic is rounded out by Miami and Los Angeles. In the case of the Florida airport, its strength lies in its connection with Latin America. In addition to US companies with important hubs there, Latin American companies such as LATAM or Avianca also operate cargo flights from there.

Los Angeles, on the other hand, has the advantage of facing the Pacific. This gives it a prominent place in trade with China, Japan, and all of Asia. Likewise, it also has easy and fast connections with the entire Pacific coast of Latin American countries.

Finally, according to information released by the US Government, the following airports with the most cargo are Chicago O’Hare International, the aforementioned Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Indianapolis International, New York’s John F. Kennedy International, and finally Dallas-Fort Worth International. Due to its regulatory activity, Ontario International Airport also appears among the top ten, with even more traffic than the New York terminal.