Summary
- Exports
- $1.1billion
- Imports
- $12.8billion
- Trade balance
- -$11.7billion
Products
What it exports
Cargo and cruise ships (62.4%) and yachts and pleasure boats (12.4%) together make up 74.8% of its exports.
What it imports
Cargo and cruise ships (61.3%) and refined petroleum (20.2%) together make up 81.5% of its imports.
Its products
Destinations and sources of its products that have their own page.
By Harmonized System chapter (94)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 89 · Ships and boats | $842 million | $9.3 billion |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $106 million | $2.6 billion |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $98 million | $6 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $9 million | $409 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $2 million | $3 million |
| 44 · Wood | $2 million | $3 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $1 million | $4 thousand |
| 87 · Vehicles | $1 million | $11 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $884 thousand | $724 thousand |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $765 thousand | $143 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $590 thousand | $54 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $563 thousand | $3 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $513 thousand | $3 million |
| 74 · Copper | $426 thousand | $711 thousand |
| 64 · Footwear | $361 thousand | $657 thousand |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $334 thousand | $2 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $304 thousand | $13 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $274 thousand | $2 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $258 thousand | $1 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $222 thousand | $9 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $198 thousand | $2 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $186 thousand | $78 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $164 thousand | $476 thousand |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $160 thousand | $150 thousand |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $146 thousand | $614 thousand |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $126 thousand | $119 thousand |
| 52 · Cotton | $107 thousand | $108 thousand |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $106 thousand | $199 thousand |
| 81 · Other base metals | $85 thousand | $46 thousand |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $82 thousand | $292 thousand |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $77 thousand | $3 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $72 thousand | $2 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $72 thousand | $724 thousand |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $65 thousand | $763 thousand |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $63 thousand | $21 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $56 thousand | $1 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $53 thousand | $212 thousand |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $53 thousand | $12 thousand |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $52 thousand | $3 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $44 thousand | $527 thousand |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $43 thousand | $6 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $30 thousand | $4 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $27 thousand | $11 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $27 thousand | $12 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $25 thousand | $6 thousand |
| 65 · Hats | $23 thousand | $51 thousand |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $23 thousand | $2 million |
| 70 · Glass | $21 thousand | $746 thousand |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $19 thousand | $44 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $18 thousand | $60 thousand |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $15 thousand | $508 thousand |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $15 thousand | $401 thousand |
| 78 · Lead | $13 thousand | $525 |
| 69 · Ceramics | $10 thousand | $622 thousand |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $9 thousand | $7 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $8 thousand | $31 thousand |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $7 thousand | $180 thousand |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $5 thousand | $2 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $4 thousand | $4 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $3 thousand | $12 thousand |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $2 thousand | $1 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $2 thousand | $4 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $1 thousand | $3 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $1 thousand | $15 thousand |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $930 | $1 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $924 | $2 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $873 | $7 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $769 | $2 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $525 | $3 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $480 | $63 thousand |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $458 | $340 thousand |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $353 | $468 thousand |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $342 | $34 thousand |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $297 | $98 thousand |
| 10 · Cereals | $164 | $3 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $65 | $961 thousand |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $0 | $1 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $0 | $907 thousand |
| 79 · Zinc | $0 | $218 thousand |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $0 | $133 thousand |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $0 | $80 thousand |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $0 | $69 thousand |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $0 | $47 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $0 | $41 thousand |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $0 | $30 thousand |
| 05 · Other animal products | $0 | $16 thousand |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $0 | $9 thousand |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $0 | $8 thousand |
| 80 · Tin | $0 | $7 thousand |
| 14 · Other plant products | $0 | $5 thousand |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $0 | $4 thousand |
| 01 · Live animals | $0 | $1 thousand |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $0 | $489 |
| 51 · Wool | $0 | $191 |
Trading partners
Its main destination is Germany (21% of exports) and its main source is China (41.6% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD millions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 224 | 21% | Sea |
| Denmark | 170 | 15.9% | Sea |
| Thailand | 101 | 9.5% | Sea |
| Cyprus | 74.5 | 7% | Sea |
| Norway | 64.5 | 6% | Air |
| South KoreaTrade with South Korea | 59 | 5.5% | Sea |
| Indonesia | 50.5 | 4.7% | Sea |
| Netherlands | 47.8 | 4.5% | Air |
| Pakistan | 47.1 | 4.4% | Sea |
| Malta | 33 | 3.1% | Air |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChinaTrade with China | 5.3 | 41.6% | Sea |
| South KoreaTrade with South Korea | 2.6 | 20.3% | Sea |
| JapanTrade with Japan | 1.3 | 9.9% | Air |
| Netherlands | 0.68 | 5.4% | Air |
| Singapore | 0.4 | 3.1% | Sea |
| Turkey | 0.38 | 3% | Sea |
| Denmark | 0.36 | 2.8% | Air |
| Brazil | 0.32 | 2.5% | Sea |
| Italy | 0.23 | 1.8% | Air |
| Germany | 0.21 | 1.7% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, the Marshall Islands accounted for 0% of world exports, compared with 0% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 37.4-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 1.1
- Imports 12.8
- Balance -11.7
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $29 million | $571 million | -$543 million |
| 1996 | $21 million | $581 million | -$560 million |
| 1997 | $36 million | $403 million | -$367 million |
| 1998 | $84 million | $74 million | $10 million |
| 1999 | $42 million | $409 million | -$367 million |
| 2000 | $30 million | $720 million | -$691 million |
| 2001 | $154 million | $987 million | -$834 million |
| 2002 | $218 million | $1.4 billion | -$1.2 billion |
| 2003 | $169 million | $1.6 billion | -$1.4 billion |
| 2004 | $648 million | $1.4 billion | -$741 million |
| 2005 | $593 million | $2.4 billion | -$1.8 billion |
| 2006 | $1.1 billion | $2.6 billion | -$1.5 billion |
| 2007 | $572 million | $5 billion | -$4.4 billion |
| 2008 | $1.6 billion | $8.6 billion | -$6.9 billion |
| 2009 | $797 million | $12.6 billion | -$11.8 billion |
| 2010 | $728 million | $9.7 billion | -$9 billion |
| 2011 | $509 million | $12.2 billion | -$11.7 billion |
| 2012 | $1 billion | $8.7 billion | -$7.7 billion |
| 2013 | $843 million | $10.7 billion | -$9.9 billion |
| 2014 | $853 million | $12.8 billion | -$12 billion |
| 2015 | $601 million | $14.7 billion | -$14.1 billion |
| 2016 | $598 million | $15.5 billion | -$14.9 billion |
| 2017 | $643 million | $13.5 billion | -$12.8 billion |
| 2018 | $783 million | $9.7 billion | -$8.9 billion |
| 2019 | $1.2 billion | $9.1 billion | -$7.8 billion |
| 2020 | $830 million | $12 billion | -$11.2 billion |
| 2021 | $1.7 billion | $10.7 billion | -$9 billion |
| 2022 | $1.2 billion | $10.6 billion | -$9.4 billion |
| 2023 | $1.1 billion | $13.8 billion | -$12.7 billion |
| 2024 | $1.1 billion | $12.8 billion | -$11.7 billion |
World rank
The Marshall Islands rose from 187th to 156th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 187th in 1995
- 156th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 187th |
| 1996 | 190th |
| 1997 | 188th |
| 1998 | 174th |
| 1999 | 187th |
| 2000 | 197th |
| 2001 | 171st |
| 2002 | 167th |
| 2003 | 170th |
| 2004 | 156th |
| 2005 | 158th |
| 2006 | 145th |
| 2007 | 163rd |
| 2008 | 147th |
| 2009 | 157th |
| 2010 | 161st |
| 2011 | 173rd |
| 2012 | 158th |
| 2013 | 164th |
| 2014 | 162nd |
| 2015 | 168th |
| 2016 | 170th |
| 2017 | 169th |
| 2018 | 164th |
| 2019 | 155th |
| 2020 | 163rd |
| 2021 | 152nd |
| 2022 | 159th |
| 2023 | 159th |
| 2024 | 156th |
What it sells
Ships and boats became its top export group: from 16% to 79%
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 1%
- Vehicles 0%
- Knitted fabric 0%
- Wood 0%
- Iron and steel 0%
- Mechanical machinery 1%
- Fish and seafood 9%
- Oil, gas and coal 10%
- Ships and boats 79%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Ships and boats | 16.4% | 78.7% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 0% | 9.9% |
| Fish and seafood | 65.3% | 9.1% |
| Mechanical machinery | 0.16% | 0.8% |
| Iron and steel | 0% | 0.23% |
| Wood | 0% | 0.23% |
| Knitted fabric | 0% | 0.11% |
| Vehicles | 0% | 0.11% |
| Other | 18.1% | 0.72% |
Who it trades with
China went from 0.1% to 38% of the Marshall Islands' trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- China 38%
- South Korea 19%
- Japan 9%
- Netherlands 5%
- Denmark 4%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| China | 0.06% | 38.4% |
| South Korea | 0.25% | 19.2% |
| Japan | 31.9% | 9.2% |
| Netherlands | 0.03% | 5.3% |
| Denmark | 0% | 3.8% |
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.