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The United States is the world’s largest importer of goods. Altogether, the country imported goods worth roughly $3.3 trillion in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Mexico, China, Canada, Germany, and Japan were the largest exporters of goods to the U.S. in 2024.
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. imported an estimated $3.3 trillion worth of goods in 2024.
- Mexican imports were roughly $505.9 billion in 2024, making it the largest exporter to the U.S.
- China and Canada were the second and third-largest exporters to the U.S., followed by Germany and Japan.
- Mexico and Canada have favorable trading terms under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced NAFTA in 2020.
1. Mexico
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Mexico topped the list of exporters to the U.S. in 2024 with an estimated $505.9 billion worth of goods. Total trade between the two regions was estimated to be $839.9 billion. Some of the top imports from Mexico include vehicles, machinery, electrical machinery, medical devices, and agricultural goods, such as fruit, vegetables, and beer.
The U.S. has a lengthy trade relationship with Mexico. The two countries, along with Canada, are part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade deal that replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 2020.
2. China
Total trade between the U.S. and China was estimated at $582.4 billion in 2024. U.S. imports from China reached roughly $438.9 billion, an increase of 2.8% from 2023.
Once associated with low-skilled labor, China has increasingly become a source of high-value technological goods. Smartphones, computers, lithium-ion batteries, toys, and video game consoles accounted for more than a quarter of the imports from China. China’s products are also diversifying to include things like bedding and furniture.
Fast Fact
U.S. exports were estimated to be $2.1 trillion in 2024.
3. Canada
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Canada is the third-largest provider of goods to the United States, totaling $412.7 billion. As noted above, the country has favorable trading terms with the U.S. and Mexico under the USMCA. Total trade between Canada and the U.S. was estimated at $762.1 billion in 2024.
Canada exports energy products, such as crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum, to the United States, along with vehicles and agricultural goods like oils, beef, fruit, vegetables, and cereals.
4. Germany
Imports from Germany totaled $160.4 billion in 2024, while total trade between the country and the U.S. was estimated to be $236.0 billion. Vehicles, vehicle parts, vaccines, packaged medications, motor vehicle parts, and medical instruments were among the top products imported by the U.S. from Germany.
The U.S. has been Germany’s largest trading partner since 2015, thanks to what the Federal Republic of Germany calls “historical ties, shared experiences, values and interests” between the two nations.
5. Japan
Total trade between the U.S. and Japan reached $227.9 billion in 2024. Imports from Japan came in at roughly $148.2 billion that year. Vehicles, vehicle parts, machinery, chemicals, and medical instruments were among the most commonly imported goods from Japan.
The U.S. and Japan established a trade partnership in 2020, aiming to lower tariffs on agricultural goods and improve digital trade between the two nations, among other goals.
The Bottom Line
While the U.S. is a major exporter of goods and services, it buys more goods from other countries, making it a net importer. In 2024, the majority of America’s imports came from Mexico, China, Canada, Germany, and Japan, five of its major trading partners.
