globaltraffic.earth

How dependent is Panama on China?

In 2024, China sold $5.9 billion to Panama, 15.6% of its imports, ranking 1st among its suppliers. Its share was 17.7% in 2019 and 3.5% in 1995. In 127 products it sells more than 50% of what Panama buys of them (in 26, more than 75%); what Panama buys from China in those products (dominated value) adds up to $1.8 billion, 4.8% of its imports.

Summary

Share of its imports
15.6%
Value imported
$5.9billion
Rank among its suppliers
1st
Products where it sells over 50%
127
Products where it sells over 75%
26
Dominated value
$1.8billion
Share of total imports
4.8%

Trend

Trend in shares

China went from 3.5% to 15.6% of what Panama buys

Share (%)

  • China 15.6%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearValue (USD millions)ShareRank
19954903.5%5
19963902.7%6
19977365%4
19985443.8%4
19995773.8%4
20006504.7%4
20016405.3%4
20025504.8%4
20036264.9%4
20047765.1%5
20059865.7%4
20062,90311.6%2
20073,61112.1%2
20084,03510.4%3
20094,13310.4%3
20108,67518.1%2
20119,18818.2%2
20129,19417.5%2
20136,56614.8%2
20146,22515.8%2
20156,19319%1
20164,35515.1%2
20175,37616.8%2
20185,35016%2
20195,97117.7%2
20204,18216.8%2
20212,6029.2%4
20224,50011.2%5
20233,2179.7%5
20245,89915.6%1

Products where China sells more than half

ProductSupplierShareSecondValue
Cameras and broadcast equipmentChina61.1%United States · 26.2%$187 million
Computer and office machine partsChina55%United States · 24.7%$115 million
Diodes, transistors and solar cellsChina92%over 75%Spain · 3%$105 million
CranesChina88.7%over 75%United States · 4.9%$84 million
Transformers and power suppliesChina55.8%Colombia · 9.4%$82 million
Bags, suitcases and casesChina69.3%United States · 5.8%$66 million
Coated flat steelChina82.2%over 75%Hong Kong · 6%$65 million
T-shirtsChina71.6%United States · 4.4%$60 million
New tiresChina58.1%Brazil · 6%$57 million
BatteriesChina63%South Korea · 9%$57 million
Steel structuresChina53%Mexico · 16.1%$56 million
Seats and chairsChina66.4%United States · 6.3%$49 million
Women's suits and dressesChina55.7%United States · 18.6%$47 million
Monitors and projectorsChina65.2%Mexico · 18.2%$45 million
Men's suits and trousersChina62%Pakistan · 8.8%$39 million
Air conditionersChina57.2%United States · 20%$38 million
Valves and tapsChina55.8%United States · 16.7%$32 million
ToysChina80.4%over 75%United States · 8.7%$31 million
Rubber and plastic footwearChina56%United States · 11.2%$28 million
Welded steel pipesChina82.8%over 75%South Korea · 5.7%$27 million
Aluminum sheetChina88.5%over 75%Italy · 4.1%$25 million
Vacuum cleanersChina74.4%Malaysia · 8.4%$22 million
Phones and telecom equipmentChina76.2%over 75%United States · 5.3%$21 million
Electric heaters and hair dryersChina67.1%United States · 16.8%$19 million
Steel angles and sectionsChina55.6%Singapore · 19.8%$19 million
Sports equipmentChina58.9%United States · 13.2%$16 million
Generating setsChina57.3%United States · 8.3%$15 million
Non-electric stoves, cookers and barbecuesChina59.9%Mexico · 17%$14 million
Textile footwearChina53.1%United States · 8%$13 million
Plastic building fittingsChina54.2%United States · 9.4%$12 million

and 97 more

A product has a dominant supplier when a single country sells more than 50% of what is bought of it; we flag it separately above 75%.

Are there other suppliers in the world?

Exports from the rest of the world already have buyers; the figure shows scale, not availability.

Seen from China

Panama is China’s 69th-largest customer, with 0.16% of its exports.

Sources and method

Sources and licenses

Methodology

The data come from CEPII BACI (Etalab 2.0 licence), which reconciles what the exporting and the importing country report, in current USD, FOB. Data up to 2024.

Dependence is the share of a country’s imports (or exports) that each partner accounts for. It does not measure whether a product has a substitute or how much it would cost to change supplier.

The concentration index (HHI) adds up the square of each partner’s share, in percent: it runs from 0 to 10,000. Its equivalent is 10,000 ÷ HHI, the number of partners of the same size that would give that value.

Products are HS4 headings of the 1992 nomenclature (some combine different goods), with a floor of $1 million per product and country.

The EU is the 27 current members in every year; the United Kingdom is outside the EU throughout the series.

Re-exports: countries that act as redistribution hubs carry their notice and the figures are not corrected.