Summary
- Exports
- $67.8billion
- Imports
- $38billion
- Trade balance
- +$29.7billion
Products
What it exports
Crude petroleum (42.5%) and refined petroleum (37.8%) together make up 80.4% of its exports.
What it imports
Cars (11.2%) and cameras and broadcast equipment (4.2%) together make up 15.4% of its imports.
Its products
Destinations and sources of its products that have their own page.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $58.5 billion | $937 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $2.9 billion | $331 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $1.5 billion | $5.5 billion |
| 39 · Plastics | $1.1 billion | $978 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $612 million | $1.3 billion |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $318 million | $3.3 billion |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $288 million | $2.4 billion |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $273 million | $3.3 billion |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $223 million | $410 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $153 million | $723 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $145 million | $613 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $129 million | $307 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $119 million | $714 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $111 million | $1.2 billion |
| 74 · Copper | $101 million | $256 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $85 million | $473 million |
| 70 · Glass | $73 million | $145 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $71 million | $469 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $64 million | $300 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $53 million | $123 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $52 million | $88 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $51 million | $840 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $51 million | $2.2 billion |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $48 million | $453 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $46 million | $559 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $45 million | $10 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $44 million | $237 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $44 million | $568 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $40 million | $27 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $40 million | $942 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $38 million | $337 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $33 million | $441 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $30 million | $308 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $29 million | $242 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $27 million | $296 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $24 million | $406 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $21 million | $168 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $19 million | $13 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $19 million | $15 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $18 million | $251 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $17 million | $284 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $15 million | $219 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $14 million | $245 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $14 million | $8 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $14 million | $856 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $10 million | $490 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $9 million | $92 million |
| 78 · Lead | $9 million | $876 thousand |
| 01 · Live animals | $8 million | $178 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $8 million | $78 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $8 million | $117 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $7 million | $171 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $6 million | $136 million |
| 44 · Wood | $5 million | $231 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $4 million | $218 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $4 million | $106 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $4 million | $36 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $3 million | $222 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $3 million | $626 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $3 million | $7 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $2 million | $69 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $2 million | $9 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $2 million | $211 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $2 million | $136 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $1 million | $422 thousand |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $1 million | $80 million |
| 65 · Hats | $1 million | $20 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $1 million | $19 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $1 million | $341 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $1 million | $106 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $957 thousand | $46 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $736 thousand | $57 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $703 thousand | $3 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $506 thousand | $13 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $396 thousand | $198 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $348 thousand | $11 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $344 thousand | $11 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $329 thousand | $16 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $323 thousand | $1 million |
| 51 · Wool | $250 thousand | $11 million |
| 45 · Cork | $245 thousand | $2 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $244 thousand | $5 million |
| 80 · Tin | $191 thousand | $533 thousand |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $164 thousand | $20 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $151 thousand | $2 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $150 thousand | $1 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $111 thousand | $10 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $109 thousand | $45 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $109 thousand | $20 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $95 thousand | $2 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $95 thousand | $2 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $86 thousand | $16 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $80 thousand | $10 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $39 thousand | $4 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $14 thousand | $5 million |
| 50 · Silk | $3 thousand | $583 thousand |
Trading partners
China is its main destination (17.3% of exports) and source (18.5% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 11.7 | 17.3% | Sea |
| South Korea | 8.8 | 13% | Sea |
| India | 8.4 | 12.4% | Sea |
| Japan | 7.4 | 10.9% | Sea |
| France | 3.8 | 5.6% | Sea |
| United Kingdom | 3.6 | 5.3% | Sea |
| Taiwan | 3.4 | 5% | Sea |
| Pakistan | 2.1 | 3.1% | Sea |
| Netherlands | 1.7 | 2.6% | Sea |
| United States | 1.7 | 2.5% | Sea |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 7 | 18.5% | Sea |
| United Arab Emirates | 4 | 10.4% | Sea |
| United States | 3.5 | 9.3% | Sea |
| India | 2.4 | 6.4% | Sea |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | 5.3% | Land |
| Japan | 2 | 5.2% | Sea |
| Germany | 1.6 | 4.1% | Sea |
| Italy | 1.2 | 3.3% | Air |
| France | 1.1 | 3% | Air |
| Switzerland | 1.1 | 2.8% | Air |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Kuwait accounted for 0.3% of world exports, compared with 0.2% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 6.7-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 67.8
- Imports 38
- Balance +29.7
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $10.2 billion | $6.6 billion | $3.6 billion |
| 1996 | $11.9 billion | $7.3 billion | $4.7 billion |
| 1997 | $12.5 billion | $6.3 billion | $6.2 billion |
| 1998 | $9.3 billion | $7.2 billion | $2.1 billion |
| 1999 | $12.6 billion | $5 billion | $7.6 billion |
| 2000 | $19.4 billion | $6.8 billion | $12.5 billion |
| 2001 | $16.2 billion | $7.5 billion | $8.7 billion |
| 2002 | $15.8 billion | $8.8 billion | $7 billion |
| 2003 | $20.4 billion | $10.8 billion | $9.5 billion |
| 2004 | $27.4 billion | $13.1 billion | $14.3 billion |
| 2005 | $38.8 billion | $13.9 billion | $24.9 billion |
| 2006 | $52.7 billion | $18.7 billion | $34 billion |
| 2007 | $60.3 billion | $24.6 billion | $35.7 billion |
| 2008 | $89 billion | $28.6 billion | $60.4 billion |
| 2009 | $54.2 billion | $16.1 billion | $38.1 billion |
| 2010 | $70 billion | $25.8 billion | $44.2 billion |
| 2011 | $98.5 billion | $28.2 billion | $70.3 billion |
| 2012 | $115.2 billion | $25.4 billion | $89.8 billion |
| 2013 | $111.7 billion | $31 billion | $80.7 billion |
| 2014 | $102.9 billion | $34.2 billion | $68.7 billion |
| 2015 | $58.6 billion | $33.1 billion | $25.5 billion |
| 2016 | $46.4 billion | $32.1 billion | $14.3 billion |
| 2017 | $58.5 billion | $35.3 billion | $23.1 billion |
| 2018 | $77.8 billion | $36.7 billion | $41.1 billion |
| 2019 | $69.5 billion | $35.4 billion | $34.1 billion |
| 2020 | $46 billion | $29.8 billion | $16.2 billion |
| 2021 | $66.8 billion | $35.1 billion | $31.7 billion |
| 2022 | $101.8 billion | $37.4 billion | $64.4 billion |
| 2023 | $87.4 billion | $41 billion | $46.5 billion |
| 2024 | $67.8 billion | $38 billion | $29.7 billion |
World rank
Kuwait fell from 50th to 51st among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 50th in 1995
- 51st in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 50th |
| 1996 | 49th |
| 1997 | 50th |
| 1998 | 55th |
| 1999 | 50th |
| 2000 | 47th |
| 2001 | 49th |
| 2002 | 52nd |
| 2003 | 51st |
| 2004 | 50th |
| 2005 | 48th |
| 2006 | 44th |
| 2007 | 45th |
| 2008 | 41st |
| 2009 | 44th |
| 2010 | 45th |
| 2011 | 41st |
| 2012 | 37th |
| 2013 | 37th |
| 2014 | 39th |
| 2015 | 47th |
| 2016 | 49th |
| 2017 | 49th |
| 2018 | 46th |
| 2019 | 45th |
| 2020 | 49th |
| 2021 | 49th |
| 2022 | 43rd |
| 2023 | 45th |
| 2024 | 51st |
What it sells
Its top export group is still oil, gas and coal: 86% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 3%
- Mechanical machinery 0%
- Gems and precious metals 0%
- Electrical and electronic equipment 0%
- Aircraft and spacecraft 1%
- Plastics 2%
- Vehicles 2%
- Organic chemicals 4%
- Oil, gas and coal 86%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Oil, gas and coal | 95.5% | 86.4% |
| Organic chemicals | 0.01% | 4.3% |
| Vehicles | 0.26% | 2.2% |
| Plastics | 0.09% | 1.6% |
| Aircraft and spacecraft | 0.08% | 0.9% |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 0.22% | 0.47% |
| Gems and precious metals | 0.1% | 0.43% |
| Mechanical machinery | 0.39% | 0.4% |
| Other | 3.3% | 3.3% |
Who it trades with
China went from 1% to 18% of Kuwait's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- China 18%
- India 10%
- South Korea 9%
- Japan 9%
- United Arab Emirates 5%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| China | 1.4% | 17.7% |
| India | 5.7% | 10.2% |
| South Korea | 7.2% | 9.1% |
| Japan | 20.4% | 8.9% |
| United Arab Emirates | 0% | 5% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
- Widyan - North Arabian Gulf basin
- Az Zour South power plant
- Sabiya power plant
Sources 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.