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Where does the United States get its cars? Import sources 2024

In 2024, the United States imported $216.5 billion of cars (11.6 million tonnes), 22.5% of the world total. Its main sources were Mexico (23%), Japan (19%) and South Korea (17%). The United States was the world’s largest importer of cars.

Summary

Value
$216.5billion
Tonnes
11.6million tonnes
Share of world total
22.5%
World rank
1st
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
Mexico49.6Tonnes: 2,949,181USD per tonne: $16,48922.9%Land
Japan40.7Tonnes: 2,108,307USD per tonne: $19,29018.8%Sea
South Korea37.6Tonnes: 2,227,143USD per tonne: $16,90217.4%Sea
Canada28.4Tonnes: 1,537,702USD per tonne: $18,46013.1%Land
Germany25.8Tonnes: 1,175,908USD per tonne: $21,94611.9%Sea
United Kingdom9.8Tonnes: 387,448USD per tonne: $25,2984.5%Sea
Slovakia4.5Tonnes: 232,419USD per tonne: $19,4612.1%Sea
Sweden4Tonnes: 200,530USD per tonne: $19,7051.8%Sea
Italy3.9Tonnes: 95,992USD per tonne: $40,4921.8%Air
China3.8Tonnes: 246,220USD per tonne: $15,5171.8%Sea
South Africa1.9Tonnes: 101,394USD per tonne: $18,8270.88%Sea
Hungary1.8Tonnes: 107,757USD per tonne: $16,3300.81%Sea
Austria1.7Tonnes: 57,490USD per tonne: $29,3810.78%Sea
Belgium re-exports1.4Tonnes: 76,310USD per tonne: $17,9890.63%Sea
France0.59Tonnes: 27,234USD per tonne: $21,5850.27%Sea
Thailand0.42Tonnes: 32,996USD per tonne: $12,7300.19%Sea
Vietnam0.17Tonnes: 10,157USD per tonne: $16,6110.08%Sea
Finland0.14Tonnes: 4,136USD per tonne: $33,5920.06%Sea
Taiwan0.09Tonnes: 7,646USD per tonne: $12,1330.04%Sea
Spain0.09Tonnes: 3,678USD per tonne: $24,3160.04%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Mexico has been its main source since 2022

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

  • Mexico 49.6
  • Japan 40.7
  • South Korea 37.6
  • Canada 28.4
  • Germany 25.8

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Mexico5.949.6
Japan22.640.7
South Korea1.737.6
Canada2528.4
Germany6.825.8

Sources and methodology

Other products of this country

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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