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Uruguay trade in 2024

In 2024, Uruguay exported $12.4 billion and imported $13.1 billion, a trade deficit of $626 million. It was the world's 95th-largest exporter, with 0.05% of world exports. Its top export was chemical wood pulp (22.6% of the total) and its main trading partner was China (21.3% of its trade).

Summary

Exports
$12.4billion
Imports
$13.1billion
Trade balance
-$626million
Routes to the main partners. Width: trade value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand
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Products

What it exports

Chemical wood pulp (22.6%) and frozen beef (12.5%) together make up 35.1% of its exports.

  1. Chemical wood pulp$2.8 billion · 22.6%
    Main partner: China
  2. Frozen beef$1.6 billion · 12.5%
    Main partner: China
  3. Powdered and condensed milk$605 million · 4.9%
    Main partner: Brazil
  4. Soybeans$598 million · 4.8%
    Main partner: China
  5. Rice$575 million · 4.6%
    Main partner: Brazil
  6. Fresh beef$485 million · 3.9%
    Main partner: Netherlands
  7. Trucks$417 million · 3.4%
    Main partner: Brazil
  8. Live cattle$298 million · 2.4%
    Main partner: Turkey
  9. Malt$296 million · 2.4%
    Main partner: Brazil
  10. Wheat$226 million · 1.8%
    Main partner: Brazil

What it imports

Crude petroleum (6.5%) and cars (4.8%) together make up 11.3% of its imports.

  1. Crude petroleum$844 million · 6.5%
    Main partner: Nigeria
  2. Cars$632 million · 4.8%
    Main partner: Brazil
  3. Trucks$437 million · 3.4%
    Main partner: Brazil
  4. Refined petroleum$428 million · 3.3%
    Main partner: Oman
  5. Auto parts$390 million · 3%
    Main partner: China
  6. Cameras and broadcast equipment$329 million · 2.5%
    Main partner: China
  7. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$281 million · 2.2%
    Main partner: Argentina
  8. Pesticides and herbicides$210 million · 1.6%
    Main partner: China
  9. Nitrogen fertilizers$170 million · 1.3%
    Main partner: Algeria
  10. Vaccines, blood and antisera$168 million · 1.3%
    Main partner: Germany
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
ChapterExportsImports
47 · Wood pulp$2.8 billion$5 million
02 · Meat and offal$2.3 billion$329 million
10 · Cereals$878 million$75 million
04 · Dairy, eggs and honey$831 million$34 million
12 · Oilseeds and grains$667 million$46 million
87 · Vehicles$501 million$1.8 billion
44 · Wood$473 million$66 million
39 · Plastics$320 million$637 million
15 · Fats and oils$307 million$169 million
11 · Milling products and malt$303 million$24 million
01 · Live animals$298 million$7 million
33 · Perfumes and cosmetics$250 million$143 million
30 · Pharmaceuticals$249 million$479 million
21 · Food preparations$223 million$110 million
41 · Hides and leather$190 million$32 million
27 · Oil, gas and coal$180 million$1.5 billion
51 · Wool$151 million$17 million
85 · Electrical and electronic equipment$118 million$955 million
71 · Gems and precious metals$101 million$14 million
23 · Animal feed and food waste$94 million$212 million
16 · Prepared meat and fish$83 million$52 million
90 · Precision and medical instruments$82 million$255 million
38 · Miscellaneous chemicals$75 million$307 million
03 · Fish and seafood$74 million$40 million
05 · Other animal products$69 million$9 million
73 · Iron and steel products$57 million$246 million
34 · Soap and cleaning products$57 million$94 million
08 · Fruit and nuts$57 million$79 million
84 · Mechanical machinery$53 million$1.4 billion
19 · Baked goods and cereal products$45 million$108 million
32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents$43 million$73 million
94 · Furniture and lighting$41 million$262 million
18 · Cocoa and chocolate$37 million$75 million
29 · Organic chemicals$32 million$196 million
22 · Beverages and spirits$31 million$125 million
48 · Paper and paperboard$26 million$204 million
20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables$23 million$141 million
24 · Tobacco$23 million$30 million
26 · Ores and slag$23 million$102 million
35 · Glues, starches and enzymes$18 million$33 million
28 · Inorganic chemicals$17 million$98 million
56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope$17 million$25 million
74 · Copper$16 million$35 million
76 · Aluminum$15 million$91 million
40 · Rubber$14 million$136 million
09 · Coffee, tea and spices$12 million$92 million
31 · Fertilizers$11 million$413 million
42 · Leather goods and bags$10 million$43 million
25 · Salt, stone and cement$10 million$42 million
86 · Railway equipment$8 million$42 million
49 · Books and printed matter$8 million$24 million
43 · Fur and fur goods$5 million$539 thousand
88 · Aircraft and spacecraft$5 million$9 million
61 · Knitted clothing$4 million$185 million
63 · Home textiles and used clothing$4 million$66 million
89 · Ships and boats$4 million$55 million
64 · Footwear$4 million$115 million
97 · Art and antiques$3 million$8 million
60 · Knitted fabric$3 million$12 million
72 · Iron and steel$3 million$164 million
91 · Watches and clocks$2 million$16 million
07 · Vegetables$2 million$30 million
68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles$2 million$56 million
95 · Toys and sports gear$2 million$95 million
13 · Gums and plant extracts$2 million$7 million
96 · Other manufactured goods$2 million$37 million
62 · Woven clothing$1 million$147 million
70 · Glass$1 million$49 million
55 · Synthetic staple fibers$1 million$10 million
52 · Cotton$1 million$13 million
82 · Tools and cutlery$977 thousand$48 million
69 · Ceramics$928 thousand$64 million
17 · Sugar and sweets$698 thousand$90 million
65 · Hats$627 thousand$10 million
83 · Miscellaneous metal goods$418 thousand$36 million
78 · Lead$370 thousand$147 thousand
58 · Special fabrics and lace$290 thousand$4 million
59 · Coated and technical textiles$260 thousand$12 million
53 · Other plant fibers$174 thousand$2 million
54 · Synthetic filaments$162 thousand$28 million
37 · Photographic goods$139 thousand$3 million
79 · Zinc$125 thousand$2 million
92 · Musical instruments$123 thousand$5 million
75 · Nickel$67 thousand$986 thousand
57 · Carpets and rugs$67 thousand$10 million
66 · Umbrellas and canes$49 thousand$3 million
36 · Explosives and matches$48 thousand$6 million
06 · Live plants and flowers$42 thousand$8 million
45 · Cork$18 thousand$1 million
46 · Wicker and basketware$7 thousand$2 million
50 · Silk$3 thousand$93 thousand
93 · Weapons and ammunition$1 thousand$6 million
67 · Feathers and artificial flowers$402$2 million
81 · Other base metals$390$2 million
14 · Other plant products$198$196 thousand
80 · Tin$0$155 thousand

Trading partners

China is its main destination (19.9% of exports) and source (22.5% of imports).

Who it sells to

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
China2.519.9%Sea
Brazil2.116.9%Land
United States1.29.7%Sea
Argentina0.86.4%Land
Italy0.453.6%Sea
Turkey0.443.6%Sea
Germany0.362.9%Sea
Netherlands0.342.8%Sea
Chile0.252%Sea
Mexico0.231.8%Sea

Who it buys from

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
China2.922.5%Sea
Brazil2.821.3%Land
Argentina1.612.3%Land
United States0.96.9%Sea
Nigeria0.393%Sea
Germany0.342.6%Sea
Spain0.32.3%Sea
France0.251.9%Sea
India0.241.9%Sea
Mexico0.221.7%Sea

Overview 1995–2024

In 2024, Uruguay accounted for 0.05% of world exports, compared with 0.05% in 1995.

Exports and imports

Exports grew 4.7-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 12.4
  • Imports 13.1
  • Balance -0.6

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$2.6 billion$3.4 billion-$727 million
1996$3 billion$3.7 billion-$720 million
1997$3.1 billion$4.1 billion-$1 billion
1998$3.2 billion$4.2 billion-$1 billion
1999$2.6 billion$3.7 billion-$1.1 billion
2000$2.7 billion$3.9 billion-$1.2 billion
2001$2.4 billion$3.5 billion-$1.1 billion
2002$2.2 billion$2.3 billion-$40 million
2003$2.6 billion$2.7 billion-$41 million
2004$3.5 billion$4 billion-$475 million
2005$4.4 billion$4.7 billion-$273 million
2006$4.5 billion$5.8 billion-$1.3 billion
2007$5.4 billion$6.4 billion-$1 billion
2008$6.9 billion$10 billion-$3.1 billion
2009$6.2 billion$7.4 billion-$1.3 billion
2010$7.6 billion$9.3 billion-$1.7 billion
2011$8.6 billion$11.6 billion-$2.9 billion
2012$9.5 billion$12.7 billion-$3.1 billion
2013$9.7 billion$12.9 billion-$3.2 billion
2014$9.5 billion$12 billion-$2.5 billion
2015$8.7 billion$10.1 billion-$1.4 billion
2016$8.3 billion$8.7 billion-$443 million
2017$9.5 billion$10.1 billion-$558 million
2018$9.7 billion$11 billion-$1.3 billion
2019$9.1 billion$9.6 billion-$539 million
2020$8.1 billion$8.2 billion-$129 million
2021$11.2 billion$11.3 billion-$125 million
2022$12.8 billion$14 billion-$1.2 billion
2023$11.4 billion$13.5 billion-$2.1 billion
2024$12.4 billion$13.1 billion-$626 million

World rank

Uruguay fell from 80th to 95th among the world's exporters

Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).

  • 80th in 1995
  • 95th in 2024

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearRank
199580th
199679th
199782nd
199880th
199985th
200093rd
2001100th
2002102nd
2003105th
2004100th
200598th
2006102nd
2007101st
2008101st
200996th
201096th
201199th
201295th
201398th
201499th
201597th
201696th
201793rd
201895th
201998th
202097th
202195th
202298th
2023100th
202495th

What it sells

Wood pulp became its top export group: from 0.1% to 23%

% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.

  • Other 29%
  • Plastics 3%
  • Wood 4%
  • Vehicles 4%
  • Oilseeds and grains 5%
  • Dairy, eggs and honey 7%
  • Cereals 7%
  • Meat and offal 19%
  • Wood pulp 23%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Chapter19952024
Wood pulp0.07%22.7%
Meat and offal10.5%18.8%
Cereals6.7%7.1%
Dairy, eggs and honey4.4%6.7%
Oilseeds and grains0.61%5.4%
Vehicles4.6%4%
Wood1.6%3.8%
Plastics2.3%2.6%
Other69.4%29%

Who it trades with

China went from 3% to 21% of Uruguay's trade

% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.

  • China 21%
  • Brazil 19%
  • Argentina 9%
  • United States 8%
  • Germany 3%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
China3%21.3%
Brazil29.8%19.2%
Argentina15.8%9.4%
United States8.4%8.2%
Germany4.1%2.7%

Production hubs

Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)

No hubs above the globe threshold.

View on the globe

Largest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)

  • Montevideo$61.9 billion (PPP, 2021 dollars)
View on the globe

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

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.

Neighboring countries

Main partners

See all countries