Export sales depend on sustained demand from importing nations. Therefore, it is important to know which trade partners represent the largest share of dollar shipments from around the globe.

Exporters that overly depend on demand from a few trade partners are vulnerable if the importing countries suffer an economic slowdown. This is why governments try to encourage their home-country exporting businesses to diversify their shipments geographically whenever possible.

Note that the global total imports of US$18.79 trillion in 2014 does not precisely match the $18.68 trillion overall amount researched for worldwide exports as reported by the International Trade Centre. Discrepancies are due to a complex array of differences among the importing and exporting nations’ reporting methodologies and calculations.

 

World’s Top Import Partners

Below are the world’s top import partners that consumed the highest dollar value in exports during 2014. Also shown is each country’s worldwide percentage share of overall import demand.

1. United States: US$2,408,098,712,000 (12.8% of global product imports)
2. China: $1,962,085,985,000 (10.4%)
3. Germany: $1,216,259,145,000 (6.5%)
4. Japan: $822,251,112,000 (4.4%)
5. United Kingdom: $687,269,929,000 (3.7%)
6. France: $659,872,076,000 (3.5%)
7. Hong Kong: $600,613,066,000 (3.2%)
8. Netherlands: $588,051,383,000 (3.1%)
9. South Korea: $525,563,837,000 (2.8%)
10. Italy: $471,659,530,000 (2.5%)
11. Canada: $462,000,049,000 (2.5%)
12. India: $459,369,464,000 (2.4%)
13. Belgium: $452,705,613,000 (2.4%)
14. Mexico: $399,976,864,000 (2.1%)
15. Singapore: $366,376,216,000 (1.9%)

In total, these 15 countries accounted for almost two-thirds (64.3%) of world trade imports during 2014.

Among the 15 leading importers, China (up 40.6%) and Hong Kong (up 36.1%) increased their import purchases at the fastest-pace over the five-year period starting in 2010.

Four other countries saw the value of their imports appreciate by at least 20%: Mexico (up 32.7%), India (up 31.2%), South Korea (up 23.6%) and United States (up 22.5%).

Italy was the only top import nation that experienced a decline in imports, down by a modest 3.1%.

Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on August 5, 2015

The World Factbook, Field Listing: Imports and Field Listing: Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on August 5, 2015

Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on August 5, 2015