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Where does China get its electric cables? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $4.1 billion of electric cables (143 thousand tonnes), 2.4% of the world total. Its main sources were Vietnam (25%), South Korea (14%) and Germany (13%). China was the world’s 9th-largest importer of electric cables.

Summary

Value
$4.1billion
Tonnes
143thousand tonnes
Share of world total
2.4%
World rank
9th
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Vietnam1Tonnes: 16,036USD per tonne: $64,97425.3%Land
South Korea0.59Tonnes: 43,702USD per tonne: $13,61014.4%Sea
Germany0.53Tonnes: 15,345USD per tonne: $34,77113%Air
United States0.46Tonnes: 7,654USD per tonne: $60,72911.3%Air
Japan0.35Tonnes: 13,489USD per tonne: $25,7738.4%Sea
Philippines0.12Tonnes: 5,110USD per tonne: $23,4152.9%Sea
Taiwan0.11Tonnes: 6,228USD per tonne: $17,2732.6%Sea
Thailand0.06Tonnes: 2,646USD per tonne: $23,6441.5%Sea
Switzerland0.06Tonnes: 1,257USD per tonne: $49,2511.5%Air
Czechia0.06Tonnes: 1,869USD per tonne: $31,5881.4%Air
France0.06Tonnes: 1,783USD per tonne: $33,0781.4%Air
Malaysia0.06Tonnes: 1,681USD per tonne: $34,4491.4%Air
Myanmar0.05Tonnes: 5,489USD per tonne: $9,8211.3%Land
Austria0.04Tonnes: 3,065USD per tonne: $14,4641.1%Sea
United Kingdom0.04Tonnes: 766USD per tonne: $57,0301.1%Air
Mexico0.04Tonnes: 1,415USD per tonne: $28,0990.96%Sea
Italy0.04Tonnes: 1,926USD per tonne: $19,1530.9%Sea
Slovakia0.03Tonnes: 972USD per tonne: $34,0590.8%Air
Cambodia0.03Tonnes: 1,765USD per tonne: $18,2890.78%Sea
Hungary0.03Tonnes: 633USD per tonne: $45,2050.69%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Vietnam has been its main source since 2019

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Vietnam 1
  • South Korea 0.59
  • Germany 0.53
  • United States 0.46
  • Japan 0.35

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Vietnam01
South Korea0.10.59
Germany0.050.53
United States0.060.46
Japan0.190.35

Sources and methodology

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Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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