No country can produce everything it needs. From oil and computer chips to cars, medicines and industrial machinery, even the world's biggest economies depend heavily on goods supplied from overseas. Some imports keep factories running, while others fill store shelves, power energy networks or support entire export industries.

Read on to discover the biggest imports into 12 key nations, how much they're worth and where they come from, with figures courtesy of UN Comtrade, the United Nations' global trade database.

All dollar amounts in US dollars

South Africa brought in $105 billion (£78.4bn) worth of products in 2025, making it the continent's top importer. Fuels including oil accounted for the largest share of the pie, coming in at $18.5 billion (£13.8bn), with Oman and Saudi Arabia the primary suppliers.

Machinery and computers came next at $14 billion (£10.5bn), followed by electrical equipment, which totalled $10.4 billion (£7.8bn). For both categories, China ranked as the number-one supplier by a country mile.

Home to major multinationals, Ireland imported $160 billion (£120bn) of goods in 2025, with a large proportion feeding its pharmaceutical, tech and aviation industries.

Pharmaceuticals topped the list at $25.2 billion (£18.8bn), led by supplies from Germany and the US. Machinery and computers followed at $22 billion (£16.4bn), with Taiwan and China the main sources. Aircraft was close behind at $20.6 billion (£15.4bn), largely arriving from France and the US, reflecting Ireland's outsized role in the global aircraft leasing sector.

Australia's import bill reached $297 billion (£222bn) in 2025, with machinery and computers forming the largest category at $43 billion (£32.1bn). China and the US were the leading suppliers.

Vehicles followed at $39.6 billion (£29.6bn), sourced primarily from Japan and China, while fuels including oil accounted for another $34.5 billion (£25.8bn). Singapore and South Korea were the main suppliers of the nation's energy imports, with Australia dependent on these Asian refining hubs for its petroleum products.

As one of Asia's major trading gateways, Singapore brought in $504 billion (£376bn) of goods in 2025. Electrical equipment dominated at $172 billion (£128bn), making up around a third of all imports, with Taiwan and China the leading sources.

Machinery and computers added $107 billion (£79.9bn), with the US the main supplier, considerably ahead of runner-up Taiwan. Fuels including oil reached $77.9 billion (£58.2bn), much of it arriving from the UAE and Malaysia for refining, processing and eventual re-export.

In 2025, Canada's imports amounted to $563bn (£421bn), with the US by far its leading trading partner. Machinery and computers led at $87.5 billion (£64.7bn), bought mainly from America and China.

Vehicles and electrical equipment followed at $87.5 billion (£65.4bn) and $51.9 billion (£38.8bn) respectively, with the US dominating the former and China the latter. But US-Canada trade relations have since plunged into crisis. With negotiations stalled, tit-for-tat tariffs escalating and Canadians boycotting US-made goods, imports from America are likely to fall significantly going forward.

Nearshoring has helped turn Mexico into a manufacturing powerhouse, and many of its imports are components and equipment destined for factories producing goods for export. In 2025, imports totalled $663 billion (£495bn).

Machinery and computers led at $144 billion (£108bn), supplied mainly by the US, Taiwan and China. Electrical equipment reached $139 billion (£104bn), led by China and the US, while vehicles accounted for $62.7 billion (£46.8bn), with America first and China second. That close integration also leaves Mexico severely exposed to renewed US trade tensions.

India imported $751 billion (£561bn) of goods in 2025. Fuels including oil dominated at $209 billion (£156bn), or 27.8% of the total, with Russia by far the biggest supplier. India's continued purchases of discounted Russian crude have angered Western governments and prompted US trade penalties.

Electrical equipment came next at $100 billion (£74.7bn), led by China and Ireland. Gems and precious metals reached $93.9 billion (£70.1bn), mainly from the UAE and Switzerland, highlighting limited domestic supply and gold's deep importance in the nation for jewellery, weddings, festivals and household savings.

France spent $776 billion (£580bn) on imported goods in 2025. Machinery and computers formed the largest category at $101 billion (£75.4bn), with the US and China the top suppliers. Vehicles accounted for $79.1 billion (£59.1bn), with many arriving from fellow EU manufacturing heavyweights Germany, Spain and Italy.

Fuels including oil were close behind at $75.8 billion (£56.6bn), led by the US, Belgium and Algeria. Belgium's prominent position is a result of its substantial petroleum refining and distribution industry.

Britain imported $948 billion (£708bn) of goods in 2025. Interestingly, gems and precious metals topped the list at $180 billion (£134bn), driven by gold. This is thanks to London's role as a global bullion-trading centre. Switzerland was a key source, alongside Canada and the US.

Machinery and computers followed at $115 billion (£85.9bn), vehicles at $93.4 billion (£69.8bn), electrical equipment at $76.2 billion (£56.9bn), and fuels including oil at $75.4 billion (£56.3bn). The US and China led in machinery and computers, Germany was the key vehicle supplier and China dominated electrical equipment. Norway and the US were the major fuel providers.

Europe's manufacturing juggernaut imported more than $1.5 trillion (£1.1tn) of goods in 2025. Electrical equipment led at $219 billion (£164bn), with China first and Hungary second, the latter boosted by its fast-growing battery and electronics industries. Machinery and computers added $189 billion (£141bn), with the largest share from China and the US.

Vehicles reached $156 billion (£117bn), with the Czech Republic and Spain leading the field. The Czech Republic's position stems from its mammoth car industry and tightly integrated supply chains with German manufacturers.

China's imports hit $2.6 trillion (£1.9tn) in 2025. Electrical equipment alone cost $627 billion (£468bn), almost a quarter of the total, with Taiwan and South Korea heading supplies despite Beijing's fraught relations with the former.

Fuels including oil reached $442 billion (£330bn), with Russia the biggest source, purchases that have drawn Western criticism amid sanctions on Moscow. Metal ores accounted for another $269 billion (£201bn), led by Australia, whose vast iron ore shipments power China's enormous steel industry.

The world's biggest importer, the US bought over $3.5 trillion (£2.6tn) of goods from overseas in 2025. Machinery and computers led the way at $665 billion (£497bn), chiefly supplied by Mexico and China, followed by $513 billion (£383bn) of electrical equipment, also led by China and Mexico. Vehicles came next at $337 billion (£252bn), with Mexico, Japan and Canada the main sources.

Fuels including oil were worth another $216 billion (£161bn), with Canada the leading source by a wide margin. That dependence gives Ottawa a powerful bargaining chip in its bitter trade dispute with Washington.

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