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Trade between the United Arab Emirates and the United States

In 2024, the United Arab Emirates exported $6.5 billion to the United States and imported $22.2 billion. The United Arab Emirates ran a deficit of $15.7 billion with the United States, compared with a deficit of $14.7 billion in 2019. The United States was the United Arab Emirates’ 6th largest trading partner (5% of its trade), and the United Arab Emirates was the United States’ 30th (0.6%).

Summary

United Arab Emirates → United States
$6.5billion
United States → United Arab Emirates
$22.2billion
The United Arab Emirates’ balance
-$15.7billion

Balance

The United Arab Emirates’ trade balance with the United States

Trade between the United Arab Emirates and the United States grew 12.3-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). The United Arab Emirates’ exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 6.5
  • Imports 22.2
  • Balance -15.7

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$391 million$1.9 billion-$1.5 billion
1996$481 million$2.5 billion-$2 billion
1997$518 million$2.5 billion-$2 billion
1998$606 million$2.3 billion-$1.7 billion
1999$608 million$2.6 billion-$2 billion
2000$843 million$2.1 billion-$1.3 billion
2001$1.1 billion$2.6 billion-$1.5 billion
2002$831 million$3.5 billion-$2.7 billion
2003$1.1 billion$3.4 billion-$2.4 billion
2004$1 billion$3.7 billion-$2.7 billion
2005$1.5 billion$6.2 billion-$4.7 billion
2006$1.3 billion$11.8 billion-$10.5 billion
2007$1.2 billion$8.8 billion-$7.6 billion
2008$1.3 billion$12.4 billion-$11.1 billion
2009$1.3 billion$8.8 billion-$7.5 billion
2010$870 million$10 billion-$9.1 billion
2011$1.9 billion$12.1 billion-$10.2 billion
2012$2 billion$22.6 billion-$20.6 billion
2013$1.9 billion$19.5 billion-$17.5 billion
2014$2.4 billion$19.1 billion-$16.7 billion
2015$2.2 billion$19 billion-$16.8 billion
2016$3.4 billion$19.7 billion-$16.4 billion
2017$4.6 billion$22.4 billion-$17.8 billion
2018$5 billion$20.2 billion-$15.2 billion
2019$3.9 billion$18.6 billion-$14.7 billion
2020$2.8 billion$15.4 billion-$12.6 billion
2021$5.4 billion$16.4 billion-$11 billion
2022$7.1 billion$20.2 billion-$13.1 billion
2023$6.3 billion$26.1 billion-$19.9 billion
2024$6.5 billion$22.2 billion-$15.7 billion

What they sell each other

What the United Arab Emirates sells to the United States

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Unwrought aluminum$1.2 billion · 18.8%
    435 thousand tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  2. Crude petroleum$1.2 billion · 18.6%
    2.3 million tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  3. Perfumes$632 million · 9.8%
    33 thousand tonnes · the United States’ sources
  4. Refined petroleum$587 million · 9.1%
    705 thousand tonnes · the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  5. Steel structures$354 million · 5.5%
    130 thousand tonnes
  6. Welded steel pipes$169 million · 2.6%
    159 thousand tonnes
  7. Other precious metal articles$167 million · 2.6%
    2 tonnes
  8. Low-voltage switches and connectors$110 million · 1.7%
    2 thousand tonnes
  9. Diamonds$98 million · 1.5%
    the United Arab Emirates’ destinations
  10. Cement$80 million · 1.2%
    901 thousand tonnes · the United States’ sources

What the United States sells to the United Arab Emirates

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Cars$4.1 billion · 18.5%
    200 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  2. Cameras and broadcast equipment$2 billion · 9.2%
    3 thousand tonnes
  3. Computers$1.6 billion · 7.2%
    5 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  4. Gold$936 million · 4.2%
    12 tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  5. Diamonds$849 million · 3.8%
    the United States’ destinations
  6. Other nuts (almonds, walnuts)$553 million · 2.5%
    110 thousand tonnes
  7. Jewelry$498 million · 2.2%
    3 tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  8. Bombs, missiles and ammunition$496 million · 2.2%
    4 thousand tonnes
  9. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$496 million · 2.2%
    1 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  10. Turbojets and gas turbines$446 million · 2%
    289 tonnes · the United States’ destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Jebel Ali to Los Angeles.

The estimated sea route between Jebel Ali and Los Angeles is 11,522 nautical miles (21,339 km) long: ≈ 26.5–34.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Hormuz; and Strait of Malacca and Singapore.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$15 billion · 52.3%
  2. Air$13.7 billion · 47.7%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

The United States was the United Arab Emirates’ 6th largest trading partner (5% of its trade), and the United Arab Emirates was the United States’ 30th (0.6%).

The United States in the United Arab Emirates’ trade
4.6%
The United States’ rank among the United Arab Emirates’ partners
6th
The United Arab Emirates in the United States’ trade
0.6%
The United Arab Emirates’ rank among the United States’ partners
30th

Compare with

Other partners of the United Arab Emirates

Other partners of the United States

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. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.