The overall cost for all of America’s purchases of imported cars in 2022 showed a -5.7% decline compared to $178.5 billion for 2018.
Year over year, US spending on imported cars increased by 13.7% from $148 billion during 2021.
Where Does the United States Spend Most On Imported Cars?
Among suppliers in the latest reporting period, American importers spent the most on cars originating from Mexico (21.7% of US spending on imported cars), Japan (19.9%), Canada (15.7%), South Korea (13.2%) and Germany (11.6%).
Applying a continental lens, 37.4% of total US spending on imported cars in 2022 went to its neighboring North American trading partners Mexico and Canada, just ahead of suppliers in Asia at 35.6%).
The United States bought 26.2% worth of cars imported from Europe. Germany generated over one half of that percentage, while all European Union members satisfied 22.4% of US demand for imported cars.
Smaller continental percentages for sources of US imported cars belong to Africa (0.8%), Latin America (0.01%) excluding Mexico, and Oceania’s Australia and New Zealand only (0.001%).
Countries Exporting Cars to Buyers in America
America’s top 15 suppliers of imported cars in 2022 attracted 98.6% of US car purchases from foreign markets, with about three-fifths (57.3%) of the overall value coming from Mexico, Japan and Canada.
- Mexico: US$36.5 billion (21.7% of total US imported cars)
- Japan: $33.5 billion (19.9%)
- Canada: $26.4 billion (15.7%)
- South Korea: $22.2 billion (13.2%)
- Germany: $19.5 billion (11.6%)
- United Kingdom: $6.5 billion (3.8%)
- Slovakia: $4.7 billion (2.8%)
- Italy: $3.6 billion (2.1%)
- Sweden: $3.4 billion (2%)
- China: $2.6 billion (1.5%)
- Belgium: $1.8 billion (1%)
- Finland: $1.42 billion (0.8%)
- Austria: $1.39 billion (0.8%)
- South Africa: $1.35 billion (0.8%)
- Hungary: $1.2 billion (0.7%)
The fastest growers among these top automotive suppliers were South Africa (up 72.6% from 2021), Belgium (up 41.8%), mainland China (up 41.4%), Finland (up 39.6%), Slovakia (up 28.9%) then Germany (up 27.2%). Note that Germany is famous for well-established car brands including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW and Porsche.
The was a pair of year-over-year decliners among the listed top US car suppliers, namely those in Austria (down -19.7% from 2021) and the United Kingdom (down -6.3%).
United States International Trade Deficits for Cars by Country
America is a major producer and seller of cars on international markets. In 2022, the United States shipped $57.9 billion worth of cars to its trade partners. Yet the reality is that American revenues from its exported cars equal over a third (34.4%) of the $168.3 billion that the US spent importing cars from foreign suppliers.
The US trade deficit specific to cars was -$110.5 billion for 2022. That amount of red ink reflects a -13% decrease from America’s -$127.1 billion shortfall from the international trade of cars during 2018. Year over year, there was an 18.7% expansion in the US trade deficit for cars from -$93.1 billion in 2021.
Below you will find the 15 countries that caused America’s highest negative subtotal (-$128.9 billion) from buying and selling cars on global markets in 2022.
- Mexico: -US$33.1 billion (product deficit up 3% since 2018)
- Japan: -$32.8 billion (down -19.4%)
- South Korea: -$18.4 billion (up 48.2%)
- Germany: -$11.9 billion (down -8.5%)
- Canada: -$9.8 billion (down -58%)
- United Kingdom: -$5.6 billion (down -31%)
- Slovakia: -$4.7 billion (up 58.2%)
- Italy: -$3.5 billion (down -21.2%)
- Sweden: -$3.3 billion (up 50%)
- Finland: -$1.39 billion (down -14.6%)
- Austria: -$1.38 billion (up 26.2%)
- Hungary: -$1.2 billion (up 41.2%)
- South Africa: -$1.1 billion (up 181.9%)
- India: -$441.2 million (down -59.3%)
- Türkiye: -$425.7 million (down -12.8%)
America’s deficits for cars widened by double-digits compared to 2018 with 6 of its major suppliers: South Africa (up 181.9%), Slovakia (up 58.2%), Sweden (up 50%), South Korea (up 48.2%), Hungary (up 41.2%) and Austria (up 26.2%).
The US was able to trim the size of its negative trade balances at the greatest percentage basis with India (down -59.3% from 2018), Canada (down -58%), United Kingdom (down -31%), Italy (down -21.2%) and Japan (down -19.4%).
United States International Trade Surpluses for Cars by Country
The United States did generate surpluses from the global car trade with about 180 other countries, islands or territories. In general, many of these surplus-creating traders represent relatively small markets.
From the 15 trade partners below, America captured a subtotal $14.7 billion in positive cashflow during 2022.
- United Arab Emirates: US$2.96 billion (product surplus up 53.2% since 2018)
- China: $2.9 billion (down -31.9%)
- Saudi Arabia: $1.7 billion (down -0.5%)
- Australia: $1.2 billion (down -22.9%)
- Georgia: $933.1 million (up 274.3%)
- Taiwan: $739.9 million (up 97.9%)
- Dominican Republic: $694.9 million (up 93.6%)
- Kuwait: $654.7 million (up 4.2%)
- Nigeria: $575.1 million (down -13.5%)
- Lithuania: $558.8 million (up 131%)
- Israel: $430.3 million (up 166.5%)
- Oman: $422.7 million (up 47%)
- Jordan: $372.6 million (down -27.9%)
- Lebanon: $276.9 million (up 21.3%)
- Chile: $260.4 million (down -42.6%)
The United States grew its individual trade surpluses at the fastest pace since 2018 at the expense of Georgia (up 274.3%), Israel (up 166.5%) and Lithuania (up 131%).
In contrast, American surpluses from buying and selling cars reduced at the severest rate trading with: Chile (down -42.6% from 2018), mainland China (down -31.9%), Jordan (down -27.9%) and Australia (down -22.9%).
Searchable List of US Imported Cars Suppliers
The table below shows the dollar amount for cars sold to the US in 2022 by country. Also shown is the percentage value change for each supplier since 2021.
You can change presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of a column.
Rank | Supplier | Imported Cars | 2021-2 |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Mexico | $36,512,896,000 | +22.8% |
2. | Japan | $33,524,673,000 | +0.4% |
3. | Canada | $26,369,430,000 | +4% |
4. | South Korea | $22,217,941,000 | +25.1% |
5. | Germany | $19,518,487,000 | +27.2% |
6. | United Kingdom | $6,464,572,000 | -6.3% |
7. | Slovakia | $4,728,262,000 | +28.9% |
8. | Italy | $3,566,181,000 | +18.1% |
9. | Sweden | $3,397,926,000 | +13% |
10. | China | $2,551,571,000 | +41.4% |
11. | Belgium | $1,765,225,000 | +41.8% |
12. | Finland | $1,416,350,000 | +39.6% |
13. | Austria | $1,391,674,000 | -19.7% |
14. | South Africa | $1,350,721,000 | +72.6% |
15. | Hungary | $1,229,471,000 | +13.4% |
16. | Türkiye | $487,056,000 | -1.9% |
17. | India | $461,890,000 | +1.8% |
18. | Netherlands | $403,895,000 | +26.2% |
19. | Vietnam | $261,114,000 | +23.6% |
20. | Thailand | $242,472,000 | +7.2% |
21. | Taiwan | $158,216,000 | +5.7% |
22. | France | $157,393,000 | +33.2% |
23. | Spain | $123,644,000 | +5.6% |
24. | Brazil | $10,859,000 | +59.1% |
25. | Denmark | $9,405,000 | +90% |
26. | Ireland | $3,922,000 | +8814% |
27. | Honduras | $3,221,000 | +10290% |
28. | Ukraine | $1,873,000 | +39% |
29. | Czech Republic | $1,113,000 | +51% |
30. | Australia | $854,000 | -73.5% |
31. | New Zealand | $685,000 | +500.9% |
32. | Colombia | $601,000 | +46% |
33. | United Arab Emirates | $593,000 | +48% |
34. | Switzerland | $437,000 | -83.4% |
35. | Portugal | $324,000 | +1806% |
36. | Poland | $283,000 | +33% |
37. | Costa Rica | $227,000 | +32.7% |
38. | Latvia | $153,000 | +20% |
39. | Venezuela | $151,000 | -10.1% |
40. | Israel | $135,000 | -4% |
41. | Saudi Arabia | $128,000 | +41% |
42. | Lebanon | $100,000 | +3.1% |
43. | Kazakhstan | $95,000 | 0% |
44. | Greece | $90,000 | -3.2% |
45 | Pakistan | $85,000 | 0% |
46 | Nigeria | $80,000 | 0% |
47 | Argentina | $79,000 | +51.9% |
48 | Ghana | $78,000 | +420% |
49 | Jordan | $74,000 | +289.5% |
50 | Georgia | $70,000 | -68.5% |
51 | Russia | $65,000 | -78% |
52 | Indonesia | $56,000 | +833% |
53 | Romania | $50,000 | 0% |
54 | Armenia | $48,000 | +269.2% |
55 | Nicaragua | $47,000 | 0% |
56 | Lithuania | $33,000 | +65% |
57 | Aruba | $29,000 | +123.1% |
58 | Bulgaria | $21,000 | -41.7% |
59 | Croatia | $21,000 | +133% |
60 | Morocco | $21,000 | 0% |
61 | Luxembourg | $20,000 | +566.7% |
62 | Chile | $18,000 | -14% |
63 | Ecuador | $17,000 | -82% |
64 | Hong Kong | $17,000 | 0% |
65 | Estonia | $16,000 | +166.7% |
66 | Panama | $16,000 | -83% |
67 | Peru | $16,000 | -59% |
68 | Serbia | $13,000 | -78% |
69 | Dominican Republic | $11,000 | -48% |
70 | Botswana | $10,000 | 0% |
71 | Antigua/Barbuda | $9,000 | 0% |
72 | Namibia | $9,000 | 0% |
73 | Guinea | $8,000 | 0% |
74 | Moldova | $8,000 | -68% |
75 | Oman | $8,000 | -88.1% |
76 | Tanzania | $7,000 | -77.4% |
77 | Zimbabwe | $6,000 | 0% |
78 | Malaysia | $4,000 | -43% |
An entry of 0% in the far-right column means that 2021 data was unavailable.
See also United States Top 10 Imports, 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 August 10, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 10, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 10, 2023
Wikipedia, Car. Accessed on August 10, 2023
Wikipedia, List of automobile manufacturers. Accessed on August 10, 2023
Wikipedia, List of car brands. Accessed on August 10, 2023