Written By Shahzad Akram
Countries around the world depend on imports and exports by air, sea and road routes in order to transport goods through their borders and into other countries. Healthy trade keeps economies booming.
Pretty much everything we have around us, from pens to furniture if not manufactured from the UK will have been transported in from another country, even some items which are manufactured in the UK may have components and parts imported from other countries. The list of products imported and exported is endless, everything from clothes, cars, food, petroleum, electronic products and more.
We take a look at the world’s largest exporters, their products and the busiest ports and shipping routes in each country.
World’s 10 Largest Exporters
China leads the list of the world’s largest exporter. Interestingly, of the top 10 leading exporting countries, 4 are from Asia, 5 from Europe and 1 from North America.
| NO | COUNTRY | YEARLY EXPORTS VALUE | DATE OF INFORMATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHINA | $3.59 trillion | 2022 |
| 2 | UNITED STATES | $2.06 trillion | 2022 |
| 3 | GERMANY | $1.65 trillion | 2022 |
| 4 | NETHERLANDS | $965 billion | 2022 |
| 5 | JAPAN | $746 billion | 2022 |
| 6 | SOUTH KOREA | $683 billion | 2022 |
| 7 | ITALY | $656 billion | 2022 |
| 8 | BELGIUM | $632 billion | 2022 |
| 9 | FRANCE | $617 billion | 2022 |
| 10 | HONG KONG | $609 billion | 2022 |
World’s 10 Largest Importers
The United States is the world's largest importer of goods, followed by China and Germany. Overall out of the world's 10 largest importers, 4 countries are in Europe, 4 are in Asia and 1 from North America and 1 from Central America.
| NO. | COUNTRY | YEARLY IMPORT VALUE | DATE OF INFORMATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UNITED STATES | $3.37 trillion | 2022 |
| 2 | CHINA | $2.71 trillion | 2022 |
| 3 | JAPAN | $897 billion | 2022 |
| 4 | UNITED KINGDOM | $823 billion | 2022 |
| 5 | SOUTH KOREA | $731 billion | 2022 |
| 6 | HONG KONG | $667 billion | 2022 |
| 7 | CANADA | $581 billion | 2022 |
| 8 | SINGAPORE | $475 billion | 2022 |
| 9 | TURKEY | $363 billion | 2022 |
| 10 | VIETNAM | $359 billion | 2022 |
The World’s Top 10 Largest Exporters In Detail
CHINA
With the second-largest economy in the World, China is the leader in exports. China exported nearly $3.59 trillion worth of goods in 2022. China’s major exported goods are electronics and other machinery, and major imported goods are electronics, including integrated circuits and other computer components.
China’s Most Exported Products:
Electrical and other machinery, including computers and telecommunications equipment, apparel
Furniture
Textiles
Most Imported Products:
Electrical and other machinery, including integrated circuits, computer components
Oil and mineral fuels
Optical and medical equipment
Busiest Ports:
Out of the top 10 busiest container ports in the world, seven are located in China. Shanghai which is the busiest container port in the world. Shenzhen, which is the 3rd busiest. In 4th position is Ningbo-Zhoushan in Northeast China and in 5th position is the Port of Guangzhou.
Fun Fact About China - DID YOU KNOW…
The mortar that was used to bind the stones in the Great Wall of China, was made of sticky rice.
UNITED STATES
The United States is the world’s largest economy and the world’s second-largest exporter of goods. The top 5 destinations for exports from the United States are: Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and the United Kingdom.
Most Exported Products:
Capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment)
Organic chemicals
Automobiles,
Medicines
Most Imported Products:
Industrial supplies
Automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys
Computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery
Busiest Ports:
Ports in the United States with the highest volume of goods exported and imported are:
Los Angeles, California (top imports: furniture, automobile parts.)
Long Beach, California (top imports: crude oil, electronics.)
New York and New Jersey (top imports: Petroleum, appliances.)
Fun Fact About The USA - DID YOU KNOW…
Every day 100 acres of Pizza are served in the United States.
GERMANY
Germany is the 3rdlargest exporter worldwide, in addition to being the largest economy in Europe and the world’s 4th largest economy. The top 5 trading partners with Germany in 2022 were: China, the United States, the Netherlands, France and Poland.
Most Exported Products:
Motor vehicles
Machinery
Chemicals
Most Imported Products:
Machinery
Data processing equipment
Vehicles
Busiest Ports:
Hamburg (machinery and equipment, chemicals)
Bremerhaven (automobiles)
Fun Fact About Germany - DID YOU KNOW…
Berlin, the capital of Germany, is 9 times bigger than Paris and has more bridges than Venice.
NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands is the 4th largest exporter in the world and the countri’s overall economy was the 18th biggest in the world in 2022. The leading destinations for Dutch exports are: Germany, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Most Exported Products
Machinery and transport equipment
Chemicals
Mineral fuels
Most imported products
Machinery and transport equipment
Chemicals
Fuels
Busiest ports
Rotterdam (top imports: coal, iron ore)
Amsterdam (top imports: cocoa, iron ore, oil products)
Fun Fact About The Netherlands - DID YOU KNOW…
17% of the present-day landmass of the Netherlands consists of land reclaimed from sea or lakes.
JAPAN
Japan is the 5thlargest exporter in the world and the world’s third-largest economy. It also has the world’s third-largest automobile manufacturing and electronics goods industries. The countries to which Japan exported the most goods in 2022 were: China, the United States, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Most Exported Products:
Motor vehicles
Iron and Steel products
Semiconductors
Most Imported Products:
Petroleum
Liquid Natural Gas
Clothing
Busiest Ports:
Nagoya (top exports: finished vehicles, auto parts)
Tokyo (top exports: chemicals, machinery)
Fun Fact About Japan - DID YOU KNOW…
Over 90% of all mobile phones sold in Japan are waterproof, as Japanese teenagers use their mobiles even when in the shower.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea is the 6thlargest exporter of goods in the world. Its economy is the 13th largest globally and the 5th largest in Asia. Major economic sectors include shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing and electronics. South Korea’s top trading partners in terms of exports in 2022 were: China, the United States, Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong.
Most Exported Products:
Semiconductors
Petrochemicals
Automobile/Auto parts
Most Imported Products:
Crude oil/Petroleum products
Semiconductors
Natural Gas
Busiest Ports:
Busan (top exports: integrated circuits, cars)
Fun Fact About South Korea - DID YOU KNOW…
South Korea has the fastest Internet speeds in the world, a record it has held for the past 12 years. 100% of South Koreans’ have Broadband access.
ITALY
Italy is the 7th biggest exporter in the world. It has the 4th largest economy in the Eurozone and the 10th largest economy globally. Germany, France, the United States and Spain are the top export destinations for Italian goods.
Most Exported Products
Engineering products
Textiles and clothing
Production machinery
Most imported products
Engineering products
Chemicals
Transport equipment
Energy products
Minerals and nonferrous Metals
Busiest ports
Port of Gioia Tauro (top imports: crude oil)
Port of Genoa (top imports: steel products)
Fun Fact About Italy- DID YOU KNOW…
There are more people of Italian ancestry living outside of Italy, than in the country itself, with 32 million people in Brazil, 25 million people in Argentina, 17 million people in the United States having Italian ancestry.
BELGIUM
FRANCE
France is the 9th largest exporter and the world’s 7th largest economy. The biggest industries in France are: energy, manufacturing and transport. The top export destinations for products made in France are: Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and the United States.
Most Exported Products
Machinery and Transportation equipment
Aircraft
Plastics
Most imported products
Machinery and equipment
Vehicles
Crude Oil
Busiest ports
Le Havre (top imports: coal, construction materials, crude oil)
Marseille - Fos (top imports: crude oil)
Fun Fact About France - DID YOU KNOW…
Louis XIX is the shortest reigning monarch in history. He was the King of France in 1830 for 20 minutes.
HONG KONG
Hong Kong is the 10th biggest exporter in the world. and is the 14th largest economy in Asia. The top export destinations for Hong Kong goods are mainland China, the United States, India, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
Fun Fact About Hong Kong - DID YOU KNOW…
Hong Kong has more tall buildings than anywhere else in the world, with 482 skyscrapers over 150 meters tall.
Shahzad Akram
