That dollar metric results from a 17.5% increase compared to $9.8 billion for 2019.
From 2022 to 2023, Bolivian spending on imported goods fell by -11.9% from $13.05 billion.
The latest available country-specific data shows that 82.2% of products imported from Bolivia was supplied by exporters in: mainland China (21% of the Bolivian total), Brazil (16.6%), Argentina (9.4%), Chile (8.8%), United States of America (6.8%), Peru (6.4%), Paraguay (2.8%), Japan (2.4%), Mexico (2.2%), Switzerland (2%), India (also 2%) and Germany (1.8%).
Applying a continental lens, 47.1% of Bolivia’s total imports by value was purchased from fellow Latin American countries excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean. Trade partners in Asia supplied 30.7% of import sales to Bolivia while 12.7% worth of goods originated from Europe. Another 9.3% came from suppliers in North America.
Tinier percentages trace back to shippers in Africa (0.2%) and Oceania (0.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Bolivia’s population of 12.13 million people, its total $11.5 billion in 2023 imports translates to roughly $950 in yearly product demand from every person in the South American country. That per-capita amount lags the average $1,100 for Bolivia in 2022.
Bolivia’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Bolivia’s import purchases during 2023 at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Bolivia.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$3 billion (26.3% of total imports)
- Machinery including computers: $1.4 billion (11.9%)
- Vehicles: $1.2 billion (10.5%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $601.1 million (5.2%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $549.2 million (4.8%)
- Iron, steel: $430.5 million (3.7%)
- Other chemical goods: $405.4 million (3.5%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $247 million (2.1%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $234.4 million (2%)
- Rubber, rubber articles: $225.3 million (2%)
Bolivia’s top 10 import categories generated approaching three-quarters (72.2%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Gainers among these top import categories were Bolivia’s international purchases of vehicles (up 12% from 2022) and machinery including computers (up 0.7%).
The severest decliners among Bolivia’s leading imports were mineral fuels including oil (down -31.4% from 2022), iron or steel (down -28.7%), miscellaneous chemical goods (down -13.9%) then plastics both as materials and items made from plastic (down -13.3%).
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level.
Information presented in the sections below is at the more granular 4-digit level.
Top Mineral Fuels Products Imported by Bolivia Including Oil
In 2023, Bolivian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels-related products.
- Processed petroleum oils: US$2.9 billion (down -32.7% from 2022)
- Crude oil: $37.8 million (up 3,784,500%)
- Asphalt/petroleum bitumen mixes: $32.4 million (down -5.8%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $19.3 million (up 17.7%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $3.8 million (down -23.5%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $2.8 million (up 27.9%)
- Natural bitumen, asphalt, shale: $624,000 (up 108.7%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $231,000 (down -8.7%)
- Peat: $95,000 (up 86.3%)
- Lignite: $26,000 (down -82.7%)
Among these import subcategories, Bolivian purchases of crude oil (up 3,784,500%), natural bitumen, asphalt and shale (up 108.7%) then peat (up 86.3%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of mineral fuels-related imports among Bolivian businesses and consumers.
Top Machinery Products Imported by Bolivia Including Computers
In 2023, Bolivian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers): US$111.8 million (down -17.1% from 2022)
- Industrial or laboratory furnaces, ovens: $70.5 million (up 32.3%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $66.9 million (up 27.2%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $66 million (down -18.6%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $64.5 million (up 20.1%)
- Computers, optical readers: $59 million (down -14.9%)
- Turbo-jets: $57 million (up 161.7%)
- Harvest/threshing machinery: $48.9 million (down -28.6%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $47.2 million (up 3%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $44.7 million (down -0.4%)
Among these import subcategories, Bolivian purchases of turbo-jets (up 161.7%), industrial or laboratory furnaces and ovens (up 32.3%) then miscellaneous machinery (up 27.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of machinery-related imports among Bolivian businesses and consumers.
Top Vehicles Products Imported by Bolivia
In 2023, Bolivian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles and related products.
- Cars: US$531.4 million (up 19.7% from 2022)
- Trucks: $251.6 million (up 27.5%)
- Tractors: $148.7 million (down -0.4%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $104 million (down -3.4%)
- Motorcycles: $81 million (down -0.2%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $51.1 million (down -2.5%)
- Trailers: $16.7 million (down -20.9%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $14.1 million (up 5.9%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $4.7 million (down -2.2%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $2.7 million (down -61.6%)
Among these import subcategories, Bolivian purchases of trucks (up 27.5%), cars (up 19.7%) then motorcycle parts or accessories (up 5.9%) grew from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of vehicles-related imports among Bolivian businesses and consumers.
Top Electronics Products Imported by Bolivia
In 2023, Bolivian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electrical products including consumer electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$116.5 million (down -4.5% from 2022)
- Insulated wire/cable: $65.4 million (down -13.6%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $56 million (up 35.9%)
- Electric generating sets, converters: $42.9 million (down -42.7%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $31.9 million (down -17.6%)
- Electric storage batteries: $30.5 million (down -10%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $26.6 million (down -5%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $25 million (up 6.1%)
- Electrical machinery: $17.8 million (up 60.6%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $17.6 million (down -4.1%)
Among these import subcategories, Bolivian purchases of electrical machinery (up 60.6%), electrical converters or power units (up 35.9%) then electric water heaters and hair dryers (up 6.1%) grew from 2022 to 2023.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of electrical goods-related imports among Bolivian businesses and consumers.
See also Bolivia’s Top 10 Exports, Brazil’s Top 10 Imports, Brazil’s Top Trade Partners, Argentina’s Top 10 Exports and Top South American Export Countries
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on December 2, 2024
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on December 2, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on December 2, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on December 2, 2024
Wikipedia, Bolivia. Accessed on December 2, 2024
Wikipedia, Airlines of Bolivia. Accessed on December 2, 2024
Wikipedia, Category: Banks of Bolivia. Accessed on December 2, 2024
Wikipedia, Oil and Gas Companies of Bolivia. Accessed on December 2, 2024