That dollar amount reflects a 27.8% upturn compared to $184.9 billion during 2018.
From 2021 to 2022, the overall cost for products imported into Czechia rose 11.2% from $212.5 billion.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2022, the Czech koruna depreciated by -7.5% against the US dollar since 2018 and diluted by -7.7% from 2021 to 2022. Czech Republic’s weaker local currency makes the Czech Republic’s imports paid for in stronger US dollars in 2022 relatively less expensive when converted starting from Czech korunas.
Best Suppliers for Czech Republic’s Imports
The latest available country-specific data shows that 70.8% of products imported into Czechia were supplied by exporters in: Germany (35.6% of Czechia’s global total), mainland China (7.5%), Poland (5.2%), Netherlands (5.1%), Slovakia (4%), Italy (2.8%), Austria (2.7%), France (2.2%), Hungary (also 2.2%), Belgium (1.8%), United States of America (1.7%) and Spain (1.3%).
Applying a continental lens, over three-quarters (76%) of the Czech Republic’s total imports by value in 2022 were purchased from fellow European countries. Asian trade partners fulfilled 21.3% of Czechian import purchases.
Smaller percentages came from suppliers in North America (2.1%), Africa (0.4%), Latin America (0.12%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.11%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Czech Republic’s population of 10.5 million people, its total $236.3 billion in 2022 imported goods translates to roughly $22,500 in yearly product demand from every person in the central European country. That per-capita metric exceeds the average $19,700 for one year earlier in 2021.
Czech Republic’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Czech Republic’s import purchases during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Czech Republic.
- Electrical machinery, equipment: US$51 billion (21.6% of total imports)
- Machinery including computers: $35.5 billion (15%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $22.1 billion (9.4%)
- Vehicles: $19.7 billion (8.4%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $11.5 billion (4.9%)
- Iron, steel: $9.2 billion (3.9%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $7 billion (3%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $5.9 billion (2.5%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $4.9 billion (2.1%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings: $4 billion (1.7%)
Czech Republic’s top 10 imports approached three-quarters (72.4%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
The fastest increases in value among the top 10 import categories from 2021 to 2022 were for Czechia’s purchases of mineral fuels including oil (up 83%), electrical machinery and equipment (up 20.9%), iron and steel as materials (up 9.3%), then items made from iron or steel (up 3.9%).
There was a pair of declining product categories, namely for imports of pharmaceuticals (down -3.8% from 2021) and products under the furniture, bedding, lighting, signs and prefabricated buildings (down -0.5%).
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level.
At the more detailed 4-digit level, the most valuable products imported into the Czech Republic in 2022 were phone devices including smartphones (6.8% of Czechia’s total), automobile parts or accessories (4.7%), computer parts or accessories (4.4%), petroleum gases (4.2%), cars (2.2%), crude oil (2.1%), medication mixes in dosage (also 2.1%), electric storage batteries (1.9%, processed petroleum oils (1.7%), and insulated wire or cable (up 1.6%).
Top Electronics Products Imported by the Czech Republic
In 2022, Czechian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electrical goods including consumer electronics.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$16.1 billion (up 50.8% from 2021)
- Electric storage batteries: $4.4 billion (up 77.5%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $3.7 billion (up 4.5%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $3.6 billion (down -1%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $3 billion (up 6.3%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $2.5 billion (up 40.9%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $1.8 billion (up 4.1%)
- Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels: $1.7 billion (up 9%)
- Electric motors, generators: $1.5 billion (up 1.8%)
- Electric circuit parts, fuses, switches: $1.2 billion (up 1.6%)
Among these import subcategories, Czech Republic’s purchases of electric storage batteries (up 77.5%), phone devices including smartphones (up 50.8%) then electrical converters or power units (up 40.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of electronics-related imports among Czechian businesses and consumers.
Top Machinery Products Including Computers Imported by the Czech Republic
In 2022, Czechian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$10.5 billion (down -5.9% from 2021)
- Computer parts, accessories: $3.1 billion (down -23.6%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $1.52 billion (down -7.6%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.5 billion (down -0.2%)
- Engines (diesel): $1.3 billion (down -2.1%)
- Printing machinery: $1.21 billion (up 4.5%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $1.12 billion (down -6.9%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $1.12 billion (down -5.6%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $1.11 billion (up 6%)
- Piston engines: $995.8 million (down -3.3%)
Among these import subcategories, Czech Republic’s purchases of air or vacuum pumps (up 6%) and printing machinery (up 4.5%) grew from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of machinery-related imports among Czechian businesses and consumers.
Top Mineral Fuels Products Including Oil Imported by the Czech Republic
In 2022, Czechian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of mineral fuels plus related products.
- Petroleum gases: US$9.9 billion (up 171.8% from 2021)
- Crude oil: $4.9 billion (up 36.6%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $4 billion (up 46.5%)
- Electrical energy: $1.6 billion (up 40.4%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $1.4 billion (up 103%)
- Petroleum oil residues: $126.8 million (down -6.1%)
- Coke, semi-coke: $115.3 million (up 63.2%)
- Petroleum jelly, mineral waxes: $41.7 million (down -18.1%)
- Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation): $39.9 million (up 53.6%)
- Lignite: $36.2 million (up 22.1%)
Among these import subcategories, Czech Republic’s purchases of petroleum gases (up 171.8%), coal including solid fuels made from coal (up 103%) then coke or semi-coke (up 63.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of mineral fuels-related imports among Czechian businesses and consumers.
Top Vehicles Products Imported by the Czech Republic
In 2022, Czechian importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Automobile parts/accessories: US$11.1 billion (up 2% from 2021)
- Cars: $5.2 billion (up 4.3%)
- Tractors: $998.9 million (up 13.2%)
- Trucks: $831 million (down -7.6%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $441 million (up 31%)
- Trailers: $422.9 million (up 7.1%)
- Motorcycles: $305.6 million (up 11.3%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $147.9 million (up 16.7%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $100.6 million (down -2.6%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $97.5 million (down -1%)
Among these import subcategories, Czech Republic’s purchases of motorcycle parts or accessories (up 31%), bicycles plus other non-motorized cycles (up 16.7%) then tractors (up 13.2%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of vehicles-related imports among Czechian businesses and consumers.
See also Czech Republic’s Top Trading Partners and Czech Republic’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on April 19, 2023
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on April 19, 2023
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on April 19, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 19, 2023