Summary
- Exports
- $238million
- Imports
- $1billion
- Trade balance
- -$788million
Products
What it exports
Paintings and drawings (40%) and refined petroleum (15.2%) together make up 55.2% of its exports.
What it imports
Yachts and pleasure boats (32%) and shipping containers (18.8%) together make up 50.8% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (92)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 97 · Art and antiques | $101 million | $4 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $51 million | $62 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $25 million | $5 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $19 million | $347 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $7 million | $25 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $7 million | $1 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $4 million | $31 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $3 million | $10 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $2 million | $134 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $2 million | $27 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $2 million | $306 thousand |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $2 million | $18 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $2 million | $6 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $1 million | $19 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $1 million | $194 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $944 thousand | $7 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $690 thousand | $685 thousand |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $529 thousand | $3 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $477 thousand | $27 thousand |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $471 thousand | $4 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $442 thousand | $8 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $426 thousand | $247 thousand |
| 40 · Rubber | $373 thousand | $3 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $287 thousand | $298 thousand |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $280 thousand | $3 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $256 thousand | $6 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $214 thousand | $2 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $212 thousand | $1 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $196 thousand | $1 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $195 thousand | $58 thousand |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $168 thousand | $3 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $166 thousand | $14 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $163 thousand | $477 thousand |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $143 thousand | $9 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $125 thousand | $2 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $116 thousand | $26 thousand |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $116 thousand | $178 thousand |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $111 thousand | $3 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $97 thousand | $433 thousand |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $84 thousand | $2 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $73 thousand | $82 thousand |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $70 thousand | $35 thousand |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $66 thousand | $395 thousand |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $55 thousand | $688 thousand |
| 65 · Hats | $42 thousand | $240 thousand |
| 10 · Cereals | $39 thousand | $4 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $39 thousand | $2 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $36 thousand | $5 million |
| 44 · Wood | $35 thousand | $9 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $27 thousand | $4 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $26 thousand | $2 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $25 thousand | $3 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $21 thousand | $4 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $20 thousand | $2 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $19 thousand | $274 thousand |
| 75 · Nickel | $17 thousand | $184 thousand |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $14 thousand | $3 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $14 thousand | $1 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $8 thousand | $3 million |
| 70 · Glass | $8 thousand | $2 million |
| 74 · Copper | $7 thousand | $557 thousand |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $6 thousand | $2 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $4 thousand | $861 thousand |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $4 thousand | $2 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $3 thousand | $57 thousand |
| 81 · Other base metals | $3 thousand | $49 thousand |
| 01 · Live animals | $3 thousand | $124 thousand |
| 05 · Other animal products | $2 thousand | $7 thousand |
| 07 · Vegetables | $2 thousand | $2 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $2 thousand | $4 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $1 thousand | $252 thousand |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $926 | $9 thousand |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $732 | $453 thousand |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $580 | $5 million |
| 80 · Tin | $473 | $25 thousand |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $185 | $841 thousand |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $73 | $6 thousand |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $41 | $30 thousand |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $35 | $54 thousand |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $10 | $50 thousand |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $0 | $2 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $0 | $786 thousand |
| 24 · Tobacco | $0 | $526 thousand |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $0 | $410 thousand |
| 79 · Zinc | $0 | $53 thousand |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $0 | $51 thousand |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $0 | $46 thousand |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $0 | $30 thousand |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $0 | $26 thousand |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $0 | $7 thousand |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $0 | $7 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $0 | $522 |
Trading partners
The United States is its main destination (22.2% of exports) and source (23.9% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD millions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 52.8 | 22.2% | Air |
| Germany | 49.2 | 20.6% | Air |
| Guyana | 35.8 | 15% | Sea |
| Egypt | 24 | 10.1% | Sea |
| Bolivia | 15.1 | 6.3% | Sea |
| Italy | 10.7 | 4.5% | Sea |
| Switzerland | 5.2 | 2.2% | Air |
| Malta | 5.1 | 2.2% | Sea |
| Ireland | 4.1 | 1.7% | Air |
| France | 3.5 | 1.5% | Sea |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD millions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 246 | 23.9% | Sea |
| China | 218 | 21.2% | Sea |
| Italy | 132 | 12.9% | Air |
| Germany | 89 | 8.7% | Air |
| France | 88.6 | 8.6% | Air |
| Switzerland | 53.2 | 5.2% | Air |
| South Africa | 42.5 | 4.1% | Sea |
| Croatia | 30.9 | 3% | Air |
| Turkey | 13.1 | 1.3% | Air |
| Netherlands | 12.5 | 1.2% | Air |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, the British Virgin Islands accounted for 0% of world exports, compared with 0% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 2.4-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 0.2
- Imports 1
- Balance -0.8
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $101 million | $330 million | -$229 million |
| 1996 | $128 million | $2 billion | -$1.9 billion |
| 1997 | $245 million | $1.4 billion | -$1.1 billion |
| 1998 | $138 million | $1.5 billion | -$1.4 billion |
| 1999 | $173 million | $2.1 billion | -$1.9 billion |
| 2000 | $203 million | $5 billion | -$4.7 billion |
| 2001 | $231 million | $4.1 billion | -$3.8 billion |
| 2002 | $400 million | $3.4 billion | -$3 billion |
| 2003 | $395 million | $3.9 billion | -$3.5 billion |
| 2004 | $451 million | $4.3 billion | -$3.8 billion |
| 2005 | $1.5 billion | $4.7 billion | -$3.2 billion |
| 2006 | $380 million | $4.4 billion | -$4 billion |
| 2007 | $426 million | $3.9 billion | -$3.4 billion |
| 2008 | $549 million | $3.2 billion | -$2.6 billion |
| 2009 | $332 million | $2.9 billion | -$2.6 billion |
| 2010 | $511 million | $4 billion | -$3.5 billion |
| 2011 | $630 million | $4.2 billion | -$3.5 billion |
| 2012 | $1.3 billion | $3.3 billion | -$2 billion |
| 2013 | $1 billion | $2.4 billion | -$1.4 billion |
| 2014 | $458 million | $2.4 billion | -$1.9 billion |
| 2015 | $637 million | $2.2 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 2016 | $670 million | $1.4 billion | -$771 million |
| 2017 | $921 million | $1.6 billion | -$667 million |
| 2018 | $347 million | $1.3 billion | -$949 million |
| 2019 | $390 million | $1.6 billion | -$1.2 billion |
| 2020 | $752 million | $1 billion | -$289 million |
| 2021 | $302 million | $2.1 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2022 | $218 million | $989 million | -$771 million |
| 2023 | $321 million | $892 million | -$571 million |
| 2024 | $238 million | $1 billion | -$788 million |
World rank
The British Virgin Islands fell from 169th to 180th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 169th in 1995
- 180th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 169th |
| 1996 | 163rd |
| 1997 | 158th |
| 1998 | 166th |
| 1999 | 162nd |
| 2000 | 164th |
| 2001 | 164th |
| 2002 | 155th |
| 2003 | 160th |
| 2004 | 162nd |
| 2005 | 134th |
| 2006 | 168th |
| 2007 | 167th |
| 2008 | 170th |
| 2009 | 171st |
| 2010 | 168th |
| 2011 | 169th |
| 2012 | 154th |
| 2013 | 156th |
| 2014 | 176th |
| 2015 | 167th |
| 2016 | 165th |
| 2017 | 164th |
| 2018 | 174th |
| 2019 | 174th |
| 2020 | 164th |
| 2021 | 178th |
| 2022 | 188th |
| 2023 | 178th |
| 2024 | 180th |
What it sells
Art and antiques became its top export group: from 2% to 42%
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 9%
- Plastics 1%
- Mechanical machinery 2%
- Footwear 3%
- Electrical and electronic equipment 3%
- Ships and boats 8%
- Iron and steel 11%
- Oil, gas and coal 21%
- Art and antiques 42%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Art and antiques | 2.1% | 42.2% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 3.4% | 21.5% |
| Iron and steel | 0.09% | 10.6% |
| Ships and boats | 20% | 8.1% |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 8.2% | 3% |
| Footwear | 0.06% | 2.8% |
| Mechanical machinery | 3.5% | 1.6% |
| Plastics | 0.33% | 1.2% |
| Other | 62.3% | 9% |
Who it trades with
China went from 0% to 17% of the British Virgin Islands' trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- United States 24%
- China 17%
- Italy 11%
- Germany 11%
- France 7%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 11.3% | 23.6% |
| China | 0% | 17.2% |
| Italy | 8.4% | 11.3% |
| Germany | 3% | 10.9% |
| France | 10.2% | 7.3% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeLargest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeSources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.