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

In 2024, the United States imported $87.2 billion of medicines (713 thousand tonnes), 18% of the world total. Its main sources were Switzerland (15%), India (14%) and Ireland (13%). The United States was the world’s largest importer of medicines.

Summary

Value
$87.2billion
Tonnes
713thousand tonnes
Share of world total
18%
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
Switzerland12.7Tonnes: 9,011USD per tonne: $1,406,36414.5%Air
India12Tonnes: 132,258USD per tonne: $90,51713.7%Air
Ireland11.6Tonnes: 14,289USD per tonne: $813,20813.3%Air
Germany7.3Tonnes: 27,121USD per tonne: $270,7868.4%Air
China5.9Tonnes: 32,924USD per tonne: $179,7946.8%Air
Italy5.9Tonnes: 16,078USD per tonne: $365,0306.7%Air
Canada5.2Tonnes: 39,863USD per tonne: $129,6366%Land
Belgium re-exports4.6Tonnes: 7,254USD per tonne: $627,3425.2%Air
Hungary3.6Tonnes: 538USD per tonne: $6,685,0814.1%Air
United Kingdom3.3Tonnes: 6,122USD per tonne: $539,6473.8%Air
France2.9Tonnes: 7,550USD per tonne: $384,7173.3%Air
Japan1.9Tonnes: 4,044USD per tonne: $479,0712.2%Air
Israel1.6Tonnes: 5,994USD per tonne: $272,4141.9%Air
Denmark1.6Tonnes: 1,218USD per tonne: $1,291,8991.8%Air
Spain1.2Tonnes: 20,841USD per tonne: $57,8031.4%Air
Austria1Tonnes: 3,763USD per tonne: $269,4441.2%Air
Finland0.89Tonnes: 142USD per tonne: $6,268,1011%Air
Netherlands re-exports0.83Tonnes: 1,574USD per tonne: $526,1450.95%Air
Mexico0.74Tonnes: 337,660USD per tonne: $2,1780.84%Land
Sweden0.46Tonnes: 3,378USD per tonne: $135,5890.53%Air

Trend

Who it buys from

Switzerland has been its main source since 2024

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

  • Switzerland 12.7
  • India 12
  • Ireland 11.6
  • Germany 7.3
  • China 5.9

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Switzerland0.3712.7
India0.0112
Ireland0.0811.6
Germany0.417.3
China0.015.9

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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