The value of US mobile phone imports rose by an average 24.8% from five years earlier in 2018 when America’s mobile phone purchases from international suppliers were valued at $53.9 billion.
Year over year, the value of mobile phones imported into the United States accelerated by 9.1% compared to $61.7 billion during 2021.
In comparison, the US exported $11.7 billion worth of mobile phones in 2022. That dollar amount equals 17.4% of America’s spending on imports for that same commodity, down from 20.5% for 2021.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 851712 for phones of wireless networks.
US Imported Mobile Phone Purchases
Below are the 15 countries that supplied American importers with the highest dollar value worth of cellphones during 2022.
- China: US$52 billion (77.3% of US imported mobile phones)
- Vietnam: $12.8 billion (19.1%)
- India: $1.2 billion (1.8%)
- South Korea: $738.4 million (1.1%)
- Hong Kong: $203.7 million (0.3%)
- Japan: $154.2 million (0.2%)
- Thailand: $29.9 million (0.04%)
- Taiwan: $24.7 million (0.04%)
- Chile: $17.4 million (0.03%)
- Canada: $12.4 million (0.02%)
- Germany: $10.3 million (0.02%)
- Indonesia: $10.2 million (0.02%)
- Malaysia: $6.7 million (0.01%)
- New Zealand: $6.5 million (0.01%)
- Spain: $6 million (0.01%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 99.9% of total US cellphone imports in 2022. America’s three leading mobile phone suppliers are a triad of Asian powerhouses China, Vietnam and India while collectively accounted for 98.1% of US spending on imported portable phones.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers exporting mobile phone to US importers since 2018 were: India (up 3,708%), Chile (up 981.7%), Vietnam (up 167.3%), Canada (up 70.9%), Indonesia (up 48.9%) then New Zealand (up 24.6%).
The top suppliers that experienced the severest declines in their export sales of cellphones to buyers in America over the 5-year period were Taiwan (down -87.1% from 2018), South Korea (down -80.8%), Malaysia (down -69.9%), Spain (down -53.7%) and Japan (down -28.9%).
Global Companies Providing US Mobile Phone Imports
The following technology firms are leading mobile phone makers. The list showcases some of the leading imported mobile phone brands available for purchase by the United States of America.
- Acer (Taiwan)
- Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft AG (AEG – Germany)
- Blackberry (Canada)
- HTC (Taiwan)
- Huawei (China)
- Kyocera Communications (Japan)
- Lenovo Group (Hong Kong)
- LG Electronics (South Korea)
- Microsoft Mobile (formerly Nokia, Finland)
- Samsung Electronics (South Korea)
- Xiaomi Tech (China)
- ZTE (China)
See also Cellphone Exports by Country, Computer Accessories Exports by Country and American Global Technology Companies
Research Sources:
BrandsMart USA list of available mobile phone brands. Accessed on October 12, 2023
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on October 12, 2023
Gartner Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Vendor in 2Q15 (August 2015), Table 1. Accessed on October 6, 2015
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on October 12, 2023
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on October 12, 2023
