From a continental perspective, buyers located in Asian countries spent the most on imported cellphones during 2019 with purchases costing $102.7 billion or 36.4% of the global total. Close behind in second place were European importers at 34.2% while 23.3% of cellphones imported worldwide went to North America. Smaller percentages arrived in Latin America (2.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (1.7%) then Oceania (also 1.7%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 851712 for telephones for cellular networks (also called mobile phones or cellphones) or for other wireless networks.
Cellphone Imports by Country
Top 15
Below are the 15 countries that paid the most for imported cellphones during 2019.
- United States: US$54.7 billion (19.4% of total imported cellphones)
- Hong Kong: $37 billion (13.1%)
- Japan: $15.44 billion (5.5%)
- Netherlands: $15.37 billion (5.4%)
- Germany: $11.5 billion (4.1%)
- United Arab Emirates: $11 billion (3.9%)
- United Kingdom: $10.6 billion (3.8%)
- Czech Republic: $7.1 billion (2.5%)
- France: $6.3 billion (2.2%)
- Russia: $5.85 billion (2.1%)
- Canada: $5.83 billion (2.1%)
- Mexico: $5.2 billion (1.8%)
- Saudi Arabia: $5.1 billion (1.8%)
- Singapore: $5 billion (1.8%)
- Austria: $4.9 billion (1.7%)
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for cellphones since 2015 were: Czech Republic (up 103.4%), Russia (up 77.7%), United Arab Emirates (up 43.2%) and Canada (up 10.7%).
Four countries posted declines in their purchases of imported cellphones: Netherlands (down -21.3%), Saudi Arabia (down -15.5%), Singapore (down -0.4%) and Germany (down -0.2%).
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 71.1% of all cellphones imported in 2019.
US
Cellphones Imported into the United States
America’s global purchases of imported cellphones totaled US$54.7 billion in 2019. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the US imported the highest dollar value worth of cellphones during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- China: US$39.6 billion (down -2.7% from 2015)
- Vietnam: $10.6 billion (up 208.5%)
- South Korea: $3.7 billion (down -41.8%)
- Japan: $219.2 million (up 1,267%)
- Hong Kong: $135.6 million (up 42.7%)
- India: $73.8 million (up 1,555%)
- Mexico: $67.9 million (down -85.8%)
- Philippines: $42.9 million (up 19,930%)
- Taiwan: $37.3 million (down -96.8%)
- Thailand: $16.8 million (up 398.4%)
- Brazil: $16.1 million (up 259%)
- Germany: $12.7 million (up 30.4%)
- Canada: $11.6 million (up 1.2%)
- Indonesia: $10.5 million (up 21,810%)
- United Kingdom: $9.5 million (down -54%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.9% of cellphones imported by the US in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of cellphones to United States since 2015 were: Indonesia (up 21,810%), Philippines (up 19,930%), India (up 1,555%) and Japan (up 1,267%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their cellphones supplied to American importers included: Taiwan (down -96.8%), Mexico (down -85.8%), United Kingdom (down -54%) and South Korea (down -41.8%).
Overall, the value of US imported cellphones rose by an average 3% from all supplying countries since 2015 when cellphones purchased cost $53 billion.
Hong Kong
Cellphones Imported into Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s global purchases of imported cellphones totaled US$37 billion in 2019. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Hong Kong imported the highest dollar value worth of cellphones during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- China: US$32 billion (up 6% from 2015)
- United States: $3.2 billion (up 38.3%)
- Japan: $459.3 million (up 15.7%)
- Singapore: $250.3 million (down -67.9%)
- United Arab Emirates: $181.4 million (down -45.5%)
- United Kingdom: $180.4 million (down -16.4%)
- Vietnam: $178.7 million (up 137.9%)
- Philippines: $114 million (up 1,282%)
- Thailand: $66.2 million (up 448%)
- Australia: $66.2 million (up 1.4%)
- South Korea: $64.8 million (down -69.6%)
- Indonesia: $48.3 million (up 2,341%)
- Taiwan: $35.3 million (down -89.9%)
- India: $30.7 million (down -53.2%)
- Netherlands: $21.2 million (down -73.2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.6% of Hong Kong’s cellphones imported in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of cellphones to Hong Kong since 2015 were: Indonesia (up 2,341%), Philippines (up 1,282%), Thailand (up 448%) and Vietnam (up 137.9%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their cellphones supplied to Hong Kong importers included: Taiwan (down -89.9%), Netherlands (down -73.2%), South Korea (down -69.6%) and Singapore (down -67.9%).
Overall, the value of Hong Kong’s imported cellphones increased by an average 4.9% from all supplying countries since 2015 when cellphones purchased cost $35.3 billion.
Japan
Cellphones Imported into Japan
Japan’s global purchases of imported cellphones totaled US$15.4 billion in 2019. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Japan imported the highest dollar value worth of cellphones during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- China: US$13.3 billion (down -0.2% from 2015)
- Thailand: $1.1 billion (up 35,1511%)
- Vietnam: $1 billion (up 3,910%)
- South Korea: $33 million (down -96.4%)
- Indonesia: $15.4 million (no 2015 data)
- Malaysia: $7.7 million (down -89.5%)
- Hong Kong: $5.5 million (up 663.6%)
- Denmark: $1.8 million (up 9,237%)
- United States: $1.7 million (down -18.8%)
- Spain: $864,000 (up 2,986%)
- Taiwan: $592,000 (down -99.1%)
- Philippines: $484,000 (up 310.2%)
- United Kingdom: $378,000 (up 125%)
- Italy: $348,000 (up 1,732%)
- Singapore: $232,000 (up 55.7%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.997% of Japan’s cellphones imported in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of cellphones to Japan since 2015 were: Thailand (up 351,511%), Denmark (up 9,237%), Vietnam (up 3,910%) and Spain (up 2,986%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their cellphones supplied to Japanese importers included: Taiwan (down -99.1%), South Korea (down -96.4%), Malaysia (down -89.5%) and United States (down -18.8%).
Overall, the value of Japan’s imported cellphones increased by an average 7.5% from all supplying countries since 2015 when cellphones purchased cost $14.4 billion.
Dutch
Cellphones Imported into the Netherlands
Dutch global purchases of imported cellphones totaled US$15.4 billion in 2019. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the Netherlands imported the highest dollar value worth of cellphones during 2019. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country since 2015.
- China: US$12.2 billion (down -26.1% from 2015)
- Vietnam: $1 billion (up 34.6%)
- Germany: $528.9 million (up 406.7%)
- Belgium: $347.4 million (up 47%)
- Ireland: $195.1 million (down -26.9%)
- Sweden: $156.1 million (up 277.3%)
- India: $154.4 million (up 68199.1%)
- Czech Republic: $134.7 million (up 527.6%)
- United Kingdom: $109.7 million (up 269.9%)
- Thailand: $93.9 million (up 978.2%)
- Hong Kong: $65.1 million (down -89.8%)
- Italy: $51.4 million (up 163.8%)
- Slovakia: $49.7 million (up 560%)
- France: $49.4 million (down -6.3%)
- Poland: $44 million (up 62.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 98.7% of the Netherlands’ cellphones imported in 2019.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of cellphones to the Netherlands since 2015 were: India (up 68,199%), Thailand (up 978.2%), Slovakia (up 560%) and Czech Republic (up 527.6%).
Four countries experienced declines in the value of their cellphones supplied to Dutch importers: Hong Kong (down -89.8%), Ireland (down -26.9%), China (down -26.1%) and France (down -6.3%).
Overall, the value of Netherlands’s imported cellphones fell by an average -21.3% from all supplying countries since 2015 when cellphones purchased cost $19.5 billion.
Searchable List of Mobile Phone Importers in 2019
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2018 data was available.
| Rank | Importer | Imported Cellphones (US$) | 2018-19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | United States | $54,651,003,000 | +1.3% |
| 2. | Hong Kong | $37,045,424,000 | -12.1% |
| 3. | Japan | $15,441,687,000 | -12.9% |
| 4. | Netherlands | $15,371,799,000 | -23.3% |
| 5. | Germany | $11,501,258,000 | -11% |
| 6. | United Arab Emirates | $11,040,916,000 | -34.3% |
| 7. | United Kingdom | $10,598,715,000 | -5% |
| 8. | Czech Republic | $7,094,832,000 | -0.2% |
| 9. | France | $6,257,543,000 | -7.8% |
| 10. | Russia | $5,848,128,000 | -7.1% |
| 11. | Canada | $5,827,640,000 | -4.9% |
| 12. | Mexico | $5,180,955,000 | +1% |
| 13. | Saudi Arabia | $5,075,693,000 | +6.5% |
| 14. | Singapore | $5,021,375,000 | +3.1% |
| 15. | Austria | $4,895,001,000 | -17.5% |
| 16. | Slovakia | $4,892,276,000 | -11.9% |
| 17. | Italy | $4,816,435,000 | -14.8% |
| 18. | Australia | $3,980,281,000 | -6.9% |
| 19. | Spain | $3,930,329,000 | -3.2% |
| 20. | South Korea | $3,778,438,000 | -12.5% |
| 21. | Thailand | $3,758,529,000 | -0.1% |
| 22. | Sweden | $3,251,617,000 | -10.9% |
| 23. | Taiwan | $2,912,415,000 | -0.5% |
| 24. | Poland | $2,734,856,000 | -0.5% |
| 25. | Vietnam | $2,639,692,000 | +57.9% |
| 26. | Malaysia | $2,308,281,000 | -13.7% |
| 27. | Indonesia | $1,939,736,000 | +463.8% |
| 28. | Turkey | $1,847,702,000 | -6.1% |
| 29. | Belgium | $1,772,266,000 | -0.4% |
| 30. | Luxembourg | $1,638,923,000 | +258.3% |
| 31. | Switzerland | $1,487,935,000 | -11.4% |
| 32. | Paraguay | $1,378,507,000 | +120.5% |
| 33. | Egypt | $1,333,265,000 | +32.7% |
| 34. | Colombia | $1,278,222,000 | -29.7% |
| 35. | Philippines | $1,274,595,000 | +4.1% |
| 36. | Chile | $1,267,293,000 | -10.4% |
| 37. | Denmark | $1,136,294,000 | +11.1% |
| 38. | Israel | $1,135,405,000 | -0.6% |
| 39. | South Africa | $1,134,210,000 | -16.1% |
| 40. | Norway | $1,095,626,000 | -10% |
| 41. | Hungary | $1,089,758,000 | +5.6% |
| 42. | Romania | $1,039,586,000 | -7% |
| 43. | Peru | $1,026,564,000 | -3.3% |
| 44. | Pakistan | $1,011,502,000 | +21% |
| 45. | Myanmar (Burma) | $904,308,000 | +1,683% |
| 46. | India | $898,690,000 | -59.5% |
| 47. | Finland | $769,041,000 | -6.2% |
| 48. | Portugal | $679,525,000 | -7.6% |
| 49. | Macao | $642,300,000 | 0% |
| 50. | Kazakhstan | $631,463,000 | -1.7% |
| 51. | New Zealand | $631,276,000 | -13.1% |
| 52. | Ireland | $603,917,000 | +1.5% |
| 53. | Morocco | $543,505,000 | +29.9% |
| 54. | Guatemala | $518,268,000 | +9.4% |
| 55. | Brazil | $490,801,000 | +2.3% |
| 56. | Greece | $482,376,000 | -5.6% |
| 57. | Bulgaria | $480,527,000 | +21.2% |
| 58. | Latvia | $448,841,000 | -8.8% |
| 59. | Ukraine | $444,432,000 | -35.9% |
| 60. | China | $438,150,000 | +49.7% |
| 61. | Togo | $434,280,000 | +18.9% |
| 62. | Bangladesh | $421,541,000 | -30.5% |
| 63. | Lithuania | $410,410,000 | -16.1% |
| 64. | Cambodia | $407,344,000 | +20,156% |
| 65. | Slovenia | $320,949,000 | -4% |
| 66. | Qatar | $310,990,000 | -36.1% |
| 67. | Croatia | $309,568,000 | +1.1% |
| 68. | Serbia | $297,797,000 | -4.3% |
| 69. | Costa Rica | $284,350,000 | -8.3% |
| 70. | Dominican Republic | $259,877,000 | -1% |
| 71. | Nepal | $236,129,000 | +36.5% |
| 72. | Kuwait | $216,452,000 | -84% |
| 73. | Belarus | $214,174,000 | -37.6% |
| 74. | Panama | $212,147,000 | -23.5% |
| 75. | El Salvador | $205,798,000 | +23.1% |
| 76. | Uruguay | $200,876,000 | -10.2% |
| 77. | Estonia | $200,344,000 | -4.7% |
| 78. | Algeria | $184,715,000 | -26.9% |
| 79. | Sri Lanka | $180,393,000 | -32.5% |
| 80. | Azerbaijan | $161,832,000 | +70.4% |
| 81. | Ecuador | $158,919,000 | -40.4% |
| 82. | Georgia | $158,687,000 | +17.6% |
| 83. | Honduras | $157,578,000 | +2.9% |
| 84. | Kenya | $154,314,000 | +107.6% |
| 85. | Kyrgyzstan | $141,247,000 | +30.3% |
| 86. | Jordan | $140,260,000 | -60.1% |
| 87. | Tunisia | $136,098,000 | -20% |
| 88. | Iran | $128,177,000 | -62.4% |
| 89. | Armenia | $110,661,000 | +32.5% |
| 90. | Cyprus | $106,649,000 | +15.7% |
| 91. | Oman | $94,266,000 | -82% |
| 92. | Mauritius | $83,269,000 | -2.6% |
| 93. | Argentina | $83,125,000 | -14.3% |
| 94. | Tanzania | $80,329,000 | +102.9% |
| 95. | Senegal | $78,465,000 | -7.3% |
| 96. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $77,470,000 | -0.3% |
| 97. | Laos | $70,957,000 | +1,979% |
| 98. | North Macedonia | $69,930,000 | +3.1% |
| 99. | Rwanda | $67,445,000 | +28.5% |
| 100. | Ghana | $58,889,000 | +295.6% |
| 101. | Libya | $54,984,000 | -91.2% |
| 102. | Iceland | $53,307,000 | -20.2% |
| 103. | Bahrain | $53,299,000 | -81.8% |
| 104. | Democr. Rep. Congo | $52,922,000 | +47.7% |
| 105. | Ivory Coast | $47,518,000 | +29.8% |
| 106. | Venezuela | $44,187,000 | -22% |
| 107. | Namibia | $43,632,000 | -10.9% |
| 108. | Cameroon | $42,753,000 | -32.6% |
| 109. | Iraq | $40,521,000 | -98.8% |
| 110. | Moldova | $39,093,000 | -45.6% |
| 111. | Bahamas | $34,579,000 | +36.1% |
| 112. | Brunei Darussalam | $33,677,000 | +37.6% |
| 113. | Nicaragua | $33,002,000 | -3.5% |
| 114. | Mali | $32,352,000 | -18.9% |
| 115. | Guinea | $32,270,000 | -14.7% |
| 116. | Nigeria | $30,976,000 | +183.2% |
| 117. | Malawi | $29,899,000 | +127.5% |
| 118. | Bolivia | $29,394,000 | -36.2% |
| 119. | Malta | $28,217,000 | -6.9% |
| 120. | Albania | $27,688,000 | +6.2% |
| 121. | Montenegro | $27,477,000 | -3.4% |
| 122. | Angola | $27,186,000 | -41.4% |
| 123. | Botswana | $25,791,000 | -25% |
| 124. | Mozambique | $23,752,000 | +17.8% |
| 125. | Andorra | $23,477,000 | -3.7% |
| 126. | Maldives | $23,155,000 | -20.6% |
| 127. | Trinidad/Tobago | $20,487,000 | -47.8% |
| 128. | Chad | $18,316,000 | +72.8% |
| 129. | Mongolia | $17,550,000 | -53.5% |
| 130. | Jamaica | $16,578,000 | -11.9% |
| 131. | Zambia | $16,338,000 | -33.1% |
| 132. | Afghanistan | $14,112,000 | +1.9% |
| 133. | Curaçao | $13,956,000 | -20% |
| 134. | Uzbekistan | $13,816,000 | +628.7% |
| 135. | Haiti | $13,611,000 | -35.8% |
| 136. | Papua New Guinea | $13,525,000 | -62.5% |
| 137. | Suriname | $13,512,000 | +2,186% |
| 138. | New Caledonia | $12,976,000 | -17.6% |
| 139. | Aruba | $12,500,000 | +0.7% |
| 140. | Congo | $11,815,000 | -63.1% |
| 141. | Cuba | $11,270,000 | +105.1% |
| 142. | Ethiopia | $10,070,000 | -28.3% |
| 143. | Somalia | $8,600,000 | -92.1% |
| 144. | French Polynesia | $8,335,000 | -17.5% |
| 145. | Tajikistan | $8,077,000 | +1,218% |
| 146. | Bhutan | $7,792,000 | +51% |
| 147. | Madagascar | $7,624,000 | -33.2% |
| 148. | Guyana | $7,331,000 | +29.9% |
| 149. | Liberia | $7,291,000 | -31.2% |
| 150. | Faroe Islands | $7,127,000 | +3.4% |
| 151. | Eswatini | $6,981,000 | -13.3% |
| 152. | Gabon | $6,874,000 | -46.6% |
| 153. | Yemen | $6,865,000 | -23.7% |
| 154. | Lesotho | $6,614,000 | -13% |
| 155. | Fiji | $5,212,000 | -84.5% |
| 156. | Cayman Islands | $5,147,000 | -35.4% |
| 157. | Niger | $4,732,000 | +883.8% |
| 158. | Uganda | $4,578,000 | -88.3% |
| 159. | Sierra Leone | $4,553,000 | +1,942% |
| 160. | Mauritania | $4,379,000 | +686.2% |
| 161. | Burkina Faso | $4,280,000 | +143.5% |
| 162. | Gibraltar | $4,061,000 | -6.4% |
| 163. | Greenland | $3,769,000 | -36.2% |
| 164. | Djibouti | $3,651,000 | -54% |
| 165. | Vanuatu | $3,322,000 | -22.5% |
| 166. | Lebanon | $3,317,000 | -97.4% |
| 167. | Saint Lucia | $3,220,000 | +4.1% |
| 168. | Zimbabwe | $3,017,000 | -68.6% |
| 169. | Gambia | $2,685,000 | +9,844% |
| 170. | Belize | $2,220,000 | -32.6% |
| 171. | Grenada | $2,160,000 | +2.5% |
| 172. | South Sudan | $2,079,000 | +64.1% |
| 173. | Dominica | $1,994,000 | -13% |
| 174. | Solomon Islands | $1,962,000 | -27.5% |
| 175. | British Virgin Islands | $1,912,000 | -18.7% |
| 176. | Central African Republic | $1,676,000 | +154.3% |
| 177. | Antigua and Barbuda | $1,522,000 | -42.4% |
| 178. | St Vincent/Grenadines | $1,442,000 | -28.1% |
| 179. | Guinea-Bissau | $1,399,000 | -26.4% |
| 180. | Cabo Verde | $1,343,000 | -42.1% |
| 181. | Burundi | $1,296,000 | -75.6% |
| 182. | Sudan | $1,289,000 | -94.5% |
| 183. | Barbados | $1,255,000 | 0% |
| 184. | Saint Kitts/Nevis | $1,222,000 | +0.7% |
| 185. | Comoros | $1,203,000 | +231.4% |
| 186. | Equatorial Guinea | $1,065,000 | -10.7% |
| 187. | Samoa | $980,000 | -77.5% |
| 188. | Sao Tome/Principe | $947,000 | -23.8% |
| 189. | US Minor Outlying Is | $901,000 | -8.2% |
| 190. | Timor-Leste | $854,000 | -72.4% |
| 191. | Seychelles | $800,000 | -75.8% |
| 192. | Turks/Caicos Islands | $742,000 | -39.3% |
| 193. | Micronesia | $620,000 | +38.1% |
| 194. | Anguilla | $508,000 | -20.9% |
| 195. | Bermuda | $507,000 | +47.4% |
| 196. | Turkmenistan | $420,000 | -98.2% |
| 197. | Tonga | $393,000 | -55.9% |
| 198. | St. Pierre/Miquelon | $353,000 | -7.6% |
| 199. | Palau | $353,000 | -34.9% |
| 200. | Kiribati | $345,000 | +57.5% |
| 201. | Wallis/Futuna Islands | $308,000 | +5.8% |
| 202. | Benin | $276,000 | +115.6% |
| 203. | Bonaire/St Eustatius/Saba | $255,000 | +218.8% |
| 204. | Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | $186,000 | +132.5% |
| 205. | St Maarten (Dutch) | $183,000 | -46.3% |
| 206. | Marshall Islands | $181,000 | +141.3% |
| 207. | Nauru | $137,000 | -63.3% |
| 208. | Cook Islands | $106,000 | -81.7% |
| 209. | Syria | $96,000 | -100% |
| 210. | Free Zones | $65,000 | -99.9% |
| 211. | Montserrat | $57,000 | -54% |
| 212. | Br. Indian Ocean Terr | $30,000 | +2,900% |
| 213. | Niue | $29,000 | +163.6% |
| 214. | Western Sahara | $21,000 | 0% |
| 215. | Tuvalu | $15,000 | +36.4% |
| 216. | Palestine | $14,000 | -100% |
| 217. | Eritrea | $13,000 | -74% |
See also Cellphone Exports by Country, America’s Top Trading Partners and Hong Kong’s Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on May 23, 2020
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 23, 2020
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 23, 2020
