As the purchasing power of the world continues to rise, people are developing a voracious appetite for more and more goods. Some countries produce the majority of goods for their own citizenry, whereas others rely heavily on imports. We have compiled a list of the top 25 importers based on total imports. Keep in mind that some countries have artificially low import amounts because of high tariffs and other disincentives for purchasing foreign-made goods. Import amounts are listed in billions of U.S. dollars.
country
imports in billions of dollars
United States
$1,150
Germany
$487
United Kingdom
$330
France
$304
Japan
$292
China
$269
Italy
$238
Canada
$229
Hong Kong
$203
Netherlands
$201
Mexico
$168
Egypt
$164
Spain
$157
Belgium
$152
South Korea
$147
Singapore
$116
Taiwan
$109
Switzerland
$94
Malaysia
$77
Austria
$74
Sweden
$69
Australia
$68
Thailand
$62
Russia
$61
Brazil
$58