The worldwide value for all US purchases of imported cars in 2019 showed a 6.1% increase since 2015 and a 0.6% rise from 2018 to 2019.
Among suppliers in the latest reporting period, Mexico shaded Canada to finish in second place among America’s top providers of imported cars. Cars shipped to the US from the European Union were valued at $43.1 billion for a 24% share eclipsing leading country Japan’s 22.2% portion of America’s internationally supplied cars.
Countries Exporting Cars to America
Top 15
America’s top 15 suppliers of imported cars in 2019 attracted 98.8% of US car purchases from foreign markets, with almost three-quarters (64.5%) of the overall value coming from Japan, Mexico and Canada.
- Japan: US$39.9 billion (22.2% of total US imported cars)
- Mexico: $38.1 billion (21.2%)
- Canada: $37.8 billion (21.1%)
- Germany: $18.1 billion (10.1%)
- South Korea: $16.3 billion (9.1%)
- United Kingdom: $9.9 billion (5.5%)
- Slovakia: $3.9 billion (2.2%)
- Italy: $3.5 billion (1.9%)
- Sweden: $2.3 billion (1.3%)
- China: $1.8 billion (1.0%)
- Austria: $1.6 billion (0.9%)
- Belgium: $1.3 billion (0.7%)
- India: $1.11 billion (0.6%)
- Hungary: $1.06 billion (0.6%)
- Finland: $719.3 million (0.4%)
Fastest-growing among these top automotive suppliers from 2018 to 2019 were Belgium (up 75.3%), Austria (up 37.2%), Slovakia (up 30.3%), Hungary (up 20.5%) then South Korea (up 15.6%).
Leading the decliners year over year were: Finland (down -58.9%), China (down -25.5%), Italy (down -25.2%), India (down -6.3%) and Germany (down -4.2%).
Deficit Creators
America is a major producer and seller of its own cars on international markets. In 2019, the United States shipped $56.2 billion worth of cars to its trade partners. Still, American revenues from its exported cars equal under a third (31.3%) of the $179.5 billion that the US spent importing cars from foreign suppliers.
The US product category trade deficit specific to cars was -$123.4 billion for 2019. That amount of red ink reflects an 8.4% increase from America’s -$113.8 billion shortfall for cars during 2015.
Below you will find the 15 countries that caused America’s highest negative subtotal (-$146.2 billion) from buying and selling cars on international markets in 2019.
- Japan: US-$38.9 billion (product deficit up 8.2% since 2015)
- Mexico: -$35.4 billion (up 69.8%)
- Canada: -$23.9 billion (down -14.6%)
- South Korea: -$14.5 billion (down -11.7%)
- Germany: -$11 billion (down -47.2%)
- United Kingdom: -$8.3 billion (up 78.6%)
- Slovakia: -$3.9 billion (up 198.2%)
- Italy: -$3.3 billion (down -15.1%)
- Sweden: -$2.1 billion (up 72.8%)
- Austria: -$1.5 billion (up 110.7%)
- India: -$1.1 billion (reversing a $44.1 million surplus)
- Hungary: -$1 billion (down -50.4%)
- Finland: -$634.3 million (reversing an $18.3 million surplus)
- Turkey: -$408.3 million (up 69.4%)
- Thailand: -$293.7 million (up 66.7%)
On a percentage basis, America’s deficits for cars widened at triple digits compared to 2015 with Slovakia (up 198.2%) and Austria (up 110.7%).
The US was able to trim the size of its negative trade balances with Finland (down -50.5%), Germany (down -47.2%), India (down -15.1%), Canada (down -14.6%) and South Korea (down -11.7%).
Surpluses
The United States did generate surpluses from the global car trade with about 175 other countries, islands or territories. Admittedly, many of these represent relatively small markets.
Collectively from the 15 trade partners below, America captured $19 billion in positive cashflow during 2019.
- China: US$5.4 billion (product surplus down -38.1% since 2015)
- Belgium: $3.6 billion (reversing a -$759.3 million deficit)
- United Arab Emirates: $2.1 billion (down -19.6%)
- Australia: $1.7 billion (up 5.4%)
- Saudi Arabia: $1.5 billion (down -60.4%)
- Nigeria: $710.7 million (up 106.5%)
- Kuwait: $601.6 million (down -7.9%)
- Taiwan: $581.7 million (up 328.8%)
- Ukraine: $524.5 million (up 2,159%)
- Georgia: $478.9 million (up 504.2%)
- Oman: $409.6 million (up 17.6%)
- Dominican Republic: $393.4 million (up 7.2%)
- Jordan: $386.3 million (up 27.9%)
- Lithuania: $324.6 million (up 262.8%)
- Cambodia: $281.2 million (up 11.2%)
The US grew its individual trade surpluses at the fastest rates since 2015 at the expense of Ukraine (up 2,159%), Belgium (up 504.2%), Taiwan (up 328.8%), Lithuania (up 262.8%) and Nigeria (up 106.5%).
In contrast, American surpluses from buying and selling cars shrank over the 5-year period with: Saudi Arabia (down -60.4%), China (down -38.1%), United Arab Emirates (down -19.6%) and Kuwait (down -7.9%).
Searchable List of US Imported Cars Suppliers
The table below shows the dollar amount for cars sold to the US in 2019 by country. Also shown is the percentage value change for each supplier since 2018. (An entry of 0% in that column means that 2018 data was unavailable.)
You can change presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the columns.
| Rank | Supplier | Imported Cars (US$) | 2018-9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Japan | $39,931,095,000 | -3.2% |
| 2. | Mexico | $38,058,497,000 | +8.1% |
| 3. | Canada | $37,819,394,000 | -1% |
| 4. | Germany | $18,052,904,000 | -4.2% |
| 5. | South Korea | $16,337,646,000 | +15.6% |
| 6. | United Kingdom | $9,899,720,000 | +1.1% |
| 7. | Slovakia | $3,867,287,000 | +30.3% |
| 8. | Italy | $3,498,556,000 | -25.2% |
| 9. | Sweden | $2,304,308,000 | -1% |
| 10. | China | $1,797,213,000 | -25.5% |
| 11. | Austria | $1,570,742,000 | +37.2% |
| 12. | Belgium | $1,337,891,000 | +75.3% |
| 13. | India | $1,113,631,000 | -6.3% |
| 14. | Hungary | $1,064,365,000 | +20.5% |
| 15. | Finland | $719,269,000 | -58.9% |
| 16. | Netherlands | $513,462,000 | -24.2% |
| 17. | Turkey | $500,986,000 | -9.6% |
| 18. | South Africa | $361,507,000 | -23.6% |
| 19. | Thailand | $305,767,000 | +26.8% |
| 20. | Spain | $196,502,000 | -69.7% |
| 21. | France | $89,269,000 | -22.2% |
| 22. | Taiwan | $82,837,000 | -16.4% |
| 23. | Poland | $32,605,000 | -58.1% |
| 24. | Ukraine | $10,539,000 | +115.3% |
| 25. | Switzerland | $10,092,000 | +4,002% |
| 26. | Serbia | $7,613,000 | -54.9% |
| 27. | Australia | $6,183,000 | +450.6% |
| 28. | Vietnam | $4,626,000 | -9% |
| 29. | Brazil | $3,739,000 | -86% |
| 30. | Czech Republic | $3,208,000 | +48.3% |
| 31. | Denmark | $3,139,000 | +5.1% |
| 32. | Gibraltar | $3,075,000 | 0% |
| 33. | Croatia | $1,308,000 | 0% |
| 34. | United Arab Emirates | $751,000 | +47.8% |
| 35. | Venezuela | $685,000 | +70.4% |
| 36. | Indonesia | $646,000 | +1,646% |
| 37. | Portugal | $526,000 | +396.2% |
| 38. | Chile | $410,000 | 0% |
| 39. | Argentina | $334,000 | +406.1% |
| 40. | Russia | $301,000 | +6% |
| 41. | Br. Indian Ocean Terr | $291,000 | 0% |
| 42. | Ireland | $271,000 | +110.1% |
| 43. | Colombia | $247,000 | -43.5% |
| 44. | Dominican Republic | $219,000 | +606.5% |
| 45 | Costa Rica | $200,000 | +88.7% |
| 46 | Panama | $194,000 | +921.1% |
| 47 | Greece | $193,000 | +72.3% |
| 48 | Singapore | $151,000 | 0% |
| 49 | Israel | $120,000 | -25.5% |
| 50 | New Zealand | $105,000 | -36.4% |
| 51 | Nigeria | $87,000 | 0% |
| 52 | Ivory Coast | $82,000 | 0% |
| 53 | Mali | $67,000 | -33% |
| 54 | Saudi Arabia | $45,000 | -49.4% |
| 55 | Philippines | $42,000 | 0% |
| 56 | Lebanon | $41,000 | -25.5% |
| 57 | Romania | $33,000 | -8.3% |
| 58 | Uruguay | $27,000 | +92.9% |
| 59 | Qatar | $24,000 | -4% |
| 60 | Bulgaria | $22,000 | +340% |
| 61 | Hong Kong | $22,000 | +633.3% |
| 62 | Palau | $22,000 | 0% |
| 63 | Bahrain | $21,000 | 0% |
| 64 | Latvia | $21,000 | -47.5% |
| 65 | Kuwait | $16,000 | -15.8% |
| 66 | El Salvador | $15,000 | 0% |
| 67 | Albania | $10,000 | 0% |
| 68 | Slovenia | $10,000 | 0% |
| 69 | Bolivia | $9,000 | 0% |
| 70 | Pakistan | $9,000 | 0% |
| 71 | Curaçao | $7,000 | 0% |
| 72 | Aruba | $7,000 | 0% |
| 73 | Lithuania | $6,000 | +20% |
| 74 | Morocco | $6,000 | 0% |
| 75 | Georgia | $5,000 | -44.4% |
| 76 | Guatemala | $5,000 | -16.7% |
| 77 | Honduras | $5,000 | 0% |
| 78 | Paraguay | $5,000 | 0% |
| 79 | Malaysia | $3,000 | 0% |
See also US Exported & Imported Cars by State, America’s Top Trading Partners, Car Imports by Country and Top Cars Exporters by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on May 21, 2020
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 21, 2020
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 21, 2020
Wikipedia, Car. Accessed on May 21, 2020
Wikipedia, List of automobile manufacturers. Accessed on May 21, 2020
Wikipedia, List of car brands. Accessed on May 21, 2020