globaltraffic.earth

Cayman Islands trade in 2024

In 2024, the Cayman Islands exported $2.3 billion and imported $6.8 billion, a trade deficit of $4.5 billion. It was the world's 139th-largest exporter, with 0.01% of world exports. Its top export was yachts and pleasure boats (85.1% of the total) and its main trading partner was the Netherlands (45.8% of its trade).

Summary

Exports
$2.3billion
Imports
$6.8billion
Trade balance
-$4.5billion
Routes to the main partners. Width: trade value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand
View on the 3D globe

Products

What it exports

Yachts and pleasure boats (85.1%) and refined petroleum (5.5%) together make up 90.6% of its exports.

  1. Yachts and pleasure boats$2 billion · 85.1%
    Main partner: Netherlands
  2. Refined petroleum$128 million · 5.5%
    Main partner: Grenada
  3. Airplanes and helicopters$109 million · 4.7%
    Main partner: India
  4. Cargo and cruise ships$45 million · 1.9%
    Main partner: Poland
  5. Batteries$18 million · 0.77%
    Main partner: United States
  6. Cameras and broadcast equipment$10 million · 0.41%
    Main partner: United States
  7. Natural gas and LPG$9 million · 0.4%
    Main partner: Belize
  8. Computer and office machine parts$4 million · 0.16%
    Main partner: United States
  9. Surveying instruments$3 million · 0.12%
    Main partner: Norway
  10. Turbojets and gas turbines$3 million · 0.11%
    Main partner: Singapore

What it imports

Yachts and pleasure boats (72.3%) and refined petroleum (3.4%) together make up 75.7% of its imports.

  1. Yachts and pleasure boats$4.9 billion · 72.3%
    Main partner: Netherlands
  2. Refined petroleum$230 million · 3.4%
    Main partner: United States
  3. Airplanes and helicopters$206 million · 3%
    Main partner: Brazil
  4. Cars$78 million · 1.1%
    Main partner: United States
  5. Furniture$44 million · 0.65%
    Main partner: United States
  6. Computers$42 million · 0.62%
    Main partner: Malaysia
  7. Jewelry$37 million · 0.54%
    Main partner: United States
  8. Other food preparations$32 million · 0.47%
    Main partner: United States
  9. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$28 million · 0.41%
    Main partner: United Kingdom
  10. Gold$28 million · 0.41%
    Main partner: United States
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
ChapterExportsImports
89 · Ships and boats$2 billion$5 billion
27 · Oil, gas and coal$138 million$242 million
88 · Aircraft and spacecraft$109 million$207 million
85 · Electrical and electronic equipment$30 million$116 million
84 · Mechanical machinery$10 million$144 million
90 · Precision and medical instruments$4 million$42 million
09 · Coffee, tea and spices$2 million$8 million
97 · Art and antiques$2 million$7 million
72 · Iron and steel$1 million$13 million
71 · Gems and precious metals$900 thousand$71 million
94 · Furniture and lighting$862 thousand$65 million
22 · Beverages and spirits$634 thousand$58 million
76 · Aluminum$626 thousand$30 million
74 · Copper$598 thousand$1 million
20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables$564 thousand$13 million
73 · Iron and steel products$460 thousand$46 million
62 · Woven clothing$367 thousand$11 million
61 · Knitted clothing$351 thousand$18 million
78 · Lead$270 thousand$23 thousand
63 · Home textiles and used clothing$253 thousand$7 million
30 · Pharmaceuticals$237 thousand$35 million
33 · Perfumes and cosmetics$223 thousand$14 million
38 · Miscellaneous chemicals$190 thousand$14 million
87 · Vehicles$185 thousand$118 million
48 · Paper and paperboard$148 thousand$20 million
12 · Oilseeds and grains$147 thousand$537 thousand
39 · Plastics$143 thousand$71 million
44 · Wood$136 thousand$27 million
21 · Food preparations$116 thousand$43 million
68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles$109 thousand$19 million
95 · Toys and sports gear$98 thousand$11 million
54 · Synthetic filaments$82 thousand$479 thousand
32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents$58 thousand$20 million
69 · Ceramics$50 thousand$8 million
40 · Rubber$48 thousand$10 million
49 · Books and printed matter$37 thousand$5 million
07 · Vegetables$36 thousand$30 million
82 · Tools and cutlery$33 thousand$6 million
83 · Miscellaneous metal goods$32 thousand$6 million
91 · Watches and clocks$24 thousand$42 million
55 · Synthetic staple fibers$21 thousand$95 thousand
47 · Wood pulp$19 thousand$49 thousand
42 · Leather goods and bags$19 thousand$4 million
04 · Dairy, eggs and honey$18 thousand$28 million
67 · Feathers and artificial flowers$17 thousand$673 thousand
70 · Glass$13 thousand$6 million
64 · Footwear$11 thousand$4 million
29 · Organic chemicals$10 thousand$4 million
93 · Weapons and ammunition$10 thousand$140 thousand
59 · Coated and technical textiles$8 thousand$795 thousand
86 · Railway equipment$8 thousand$6 million
57 · Carpets and rugs$8 thousand$4 million
25 · Salt, stone and cement$7 thousand$17 million
56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope$7 thousand$651 thousand
65 · Hats$6 thousand$738 thousand
08 · Fruit and nuts$5 thousand$19 million
18 · Cocoa and chocolate$5 thousand$4 million
24 · Tobacco$4 thousand$9 million
96 · Other manufactured goods$4 thousand$2 million
92 · Musical instruments$3 thousand$1 million
37 · Photographic goods$2 thousand$278 thousand
01 · Live animals$2 thousand$487 thousand
66 · Umbrellas and canes$2 thousand$904 thousand
79 · Zinc$890$103 thousand
19 · Baked goods and cereal products$845$19 million
34 · Soap and cleaning products$500$14 million
16 · Prepared meat and fish$356$13 million
17 · Sugar and sweets$247$4 million
60 · Knitted fabric$232$50 thousand
06 · Live plants and flowers$121$4 million
35 · Glues, starches and enzymes$54$904 thousand
45 · Cork$54$807 thousand
46 · Wicker and basketware$14$122 thousand
23 · Animal feed and food waste$13$7 million
58 · Special fabrics and lace$10$234 thousand
52 · Cotton$1$197 thousand
02 · Meat and offal$0$44 million
03 · Fish and seafood$0$14 million
11 · Milling products and malt$0$7 million
15 · Fats and oils$0$4 million
10 · Cereals$0$4 million
28 · Inorganic chemicals$0$3 million
36 · Explosives and matches$0$1 million
31 · Fertilizers$0$481 thousand
51 · Wool$0$386 thousand
26 · Ores and slag$0$189 thousand
43 · Fur and fur goods$0$147 thousand
41 · Hides and leather$0$134 thousand
05 · Other animal products$0$106 thousand
81 · Other base metals$0$94 thousand
53 · Other plant fibers$0$73 thousand
75 · Nickel$0$60 thousand
14 · Other plant products$0$44 thousand
13 · Gums and plant extracts$0$38 thousand
50 · Silk$0$26 thousand
80 · Tin$0$21 thousand

Trading partners

The Netherlands is its main destination (77.2% of exports) and source (35% of imports).

Who it sells to

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
Netherlands1.877.2%Air
India0.083.3%Air
Grenada0.073.2%Sea
Malta0.072.8%Air
United States0.062.8%Sea
Italy0.041.8%Air
France0.041.7%Air
Croatia0.031.2%Air
Germany0.021%Sea
Poland0.021%Sea

Who it buys from

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
Netherlands2.435%Air
Germany1.522%Air
United States1.217.1%Sea
Italy0.9313.6%Air
Brazil0.152.3%Air
India0.071.1%Air
Canada0.071%Air
Jamaica0.060.95%Sea
United Kingdom0.050.68%Air
China0.040.54%Sea

Overview 1995–2024

In 2024, the Cayman Islands accounted for 0.01% of world exports, compared with 0% in 1995.

Exports and imports

Exports grew 17.7-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 2.3
  • Imports 6.8
  • Balance -4.5

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$133 million$647 million-$514 million
1996$159 million$478 million-$319 million
1997$152 million$704 million-$552 million
1998$181 million$977 million-$796 million
1999$251 million$1 billion-$786 million
2000$268 million$1 billion-$781 million
2001$169 million$1.6 billion-$1.4 billion
2002$234 million$1 billion-$770 million
2003$703 million$1.4 billion-$729 million
2004$668 million$1.6 billion-$955 million
2005$748 million$1.9 billion-$1.1 billion
2006$2.1 billion$3.2 billion-$1.1 billion
2007$314 million$2.1 billion-$1.8 billion
2008$498 million$3.6 billion-$3.1 billion
2009$201 million$2.5 billion-$2.3 billion
2010$1.2 billion$4.8 billion-$3.6 billion
2011$1.3 billion$3.1 billion-$1.8 billion
2012$616 million$1.8 billion-$1.2 billion
2013$841 million$1.9 billion-$1.1 billion
2014$399 million$2.3 billion-$1.9 billion
2015$711 million$2.4 billion-$1.7 billion
2016$2.2 billion$4.4 billion-$2.2 billion
2017$2.3 billion$5.5 billion-$3.2 billion
2018$1 billion$4.7 billion-$3.7 billion
2019$1.5 billion$4 billion-$2.4 billion
2020$2 billion$4.2 billion-$2.2 billion
2021$2.4 billion$6.1 billion-$3.7 billion
2022$760 million$2.6 billion-$1.9 billion
2023$2.3 billion$6.8 billion-$4.5 billion
2024$2.3 billion$6.8 billion-$4.5 billion

World rank

The Cayman Islands rose from 158th to 139th among the world's exporters

Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).

  • 158th in 1995
  • 139th in 2024

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearRank
1995158th
1996161st
1997164th
1998159th
1999157th
2000160th
2001169th
2002164th
2003146th
2004153rd
2005151st
2006125th
2007170th
2008171st
2009180th
2010152nd
2011155th
2012171st
2013165th
2014178th
2015163rd
2016137th
2017138th
2018156th
2019148th
2020140th
2021142nd
2022167th
2023145th
2024139th

What it sells

Its top export group is still ships and boats: 87% in 2024

% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.

  • Other 0%
  • Art and antiques 0%
  • Coffee, tea and spices 0%
  • Precision and medical instruments 0%
  • Mechanical machinery 0%
  • Electrical and electronic equipment 1%
  • Aircraft and spacecraft 5%
  • Oil, gas and coal 6%
  • Ships and boats 87%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Chapter19952024
Ships and boats20%87%
Oil, gas and coal0%5.9%
Aircraft and spacecraft0.01%4.7%
Electrical and electronic equipment0.15%1.3%
Mechanical machinery13.3%0.42%
Precision and medical instruments1%0.16%
Coffee, tea and spices0.45%0.08%
Art and antiques0.11%0.08%
Other65.1%0.4%

Who it trades with

The Netherlands went from 0.4% to 46% of the Cayman Islands' trade

% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.

  • Netherlands 46%
  • Germany 17%
  • United States 13%
  • Italy 11%
  • Brazil 2%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Netherlands0.35%45.8%
Germany1.7%16.7%
United States19.3%13.4%
Italy6.9%10.6%
Brazil12.5%1.7%

Production hubs

Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)

No hubs above the globe threshold.

View on the globe

Largest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)

No hubs above the globe threshold.

View on the globe

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

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.

Main partners

See all countries