Countries from which Illinois imports the most goods

From oranges grown in Brazil to the recent explosion in popularity of Korean skincare and beauty products, countries' importing and exporting patterns can influence things like national inflation levels and consumer purchasing power. The trickle-down effects are immense — everyone from major corporation CEOs to local small business owners can see the impact of imports and exports on their spending habits and even their entire livelihoods.

Other economic decisions also play an important role. Sometimes, a country chooses to impose taxes on goods imported from another specific country, which the importer must then pay. Conversely, countries that make free trade agreements agree to reduce or eliminate barriers to trade, allowing goods to flow freely between them.

Although all U.S. states are affected by national trade decisions, it's worth noting that not every state is impacted equally. Due to factors like physical location and local dominant industries, some states need more of certain kinds of goods — from cars to furniture parts — in order to function. However, you might be wondering: Which countries does my state import the most goods from?

To answer that question, Stacker compiled a list of the countries from which Illinois imports the most goods, using data from the Census Bureau. Countries are ranked by the highest value of imports in 2024 with Illinois.

Read on to find out which countries you can expect to find the most imported goods from at your local store.

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#30. Philippines

- Imports: $584.7 million
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($307.9 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($100.2 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($51.2 million)

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#29. Austria

- Imports: $617.1 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($148.7 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($73.8 million)
--- Plastics and articles thereof ($50.2 million)

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#28. Denmark

- Imports: $630.4 million
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($149.5 million)
--- Albuminoidal substances; modified starches; glues; enzymes ($128.2 million)
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($93.4 million)

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#27. Finland

- Imports: $668.4 million
- Largest imports:
--- Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, paper or paperboard ($341.8 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($141.2 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($34.3 million)

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#26. Poland

- Imports: $794.9 million
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($241.5 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($109.4 million)
--- Furniture, bedding, mattresses, luminaries, light fixtures, prefabricated buildings ($72.8 million)

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#25. Australia

- Imports: $963.2 million
- Largest imports:
--- Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones and metals and articles thereof; immitation jewellery; coins ($231.4 million)
--- Ores, slag and ash ($203.4 million)
--- Meat and edible meat offal ($198.9 million)

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#24. Spain

- Imports: $968.2 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($180.2 million)
--- Rubber and articles thereof ($144.8 million)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($105.1 million)

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#23. Indonesia

- Imports: $979.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($263.1 million)
--- Rubber and articles thereof ($166.7 million)
--- Furniture, bedding, mattresses, luminaries, light fixtures, prefabricated buildings ($85.8 million)

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#22. Sweden

- Imports: $1.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($682.6 million)
--- Iron and steel ($127.0 million)
--- Miscellaneous chemical products ($106.2 million)

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#21. South Africa

- Imports: $1.5 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones and metals and articles thereof; immitation jewellery; coins ($1.3 billion)
--- Inorganic chemicals; precious and rare earth metals and radioactive compounds ($34.9 million)
--- Iron and steel ($29.8 million)

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#20. France

- Imports: $1.6 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($248.2 million)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($199.2 million)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($148.4 million)

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#19. United Kingdom

- Imports: $2.2 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($534.1 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($194.7 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($160.9 million)

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#18. Singapore

- Imports: $2.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($1.8 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($135.5 million)
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($134.4 million)

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#17. Malaysia

- Imports: $2.7 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($2.1 billion)
--- Furniture, bedding, mattresses, luminaries, light fixtures, prefabricated buildings ($120.9 million)
--- Rubber and articles thereof ($113.3 million)

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#16. Brazil

- Imports: $2.8 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Iron and steel ($1.7 billion)
--- Albuminoidal substances; modified starches; glues; enzymes ($161.0 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($136.6 million)

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#15. Netherlands

- Imports: $3.2 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($2.3 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($217.4 million)
--- Cocoa and cocoa preparations ($89.1 million)

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#14. South Korea

- Imports: $3.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.2 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($822.9 million)
--- Plastics and articles thereof ($319.7 million)

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#13. Switzerland

- Imports: $3.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($1.1 billion)
--- Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones and metals and articles thereof; immitation jewellery; coins ($978.3 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($423.3 million)

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#12. Italy

- Imports: $3.6 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($1.0 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($788.3 million)
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($285.8 million)

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#11. Ireland

- Imports: $4.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($1.7 billion)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($1.1 billion)
--- Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations ($813.2 million)

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#10. Taiwan

- Imports: $4.4 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.8 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($1.2 billion)
--- Articles of iron or steel ($419.4 million)

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#9. Hungary

- Imports: $4.4 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($4.2 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($77.0 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($34.5 million)

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#8. India

- Imports: $5.2 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($2.3 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($434.9 million)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($352.9 million)

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#7. Thailand

- Imports: $5.5 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($2.1 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($2.1 billion)
--- Rubber and articles thereof ($437.1 million)

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#6. Japan

- Imports: $7.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($2.4 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.3 billion)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($904.4 million)

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#5. Germany

- Imports: $8.5 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($1.7 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($1.6 billion)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($1.1 billion)

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#4. Vietnam

- Imports: $12.7 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($5.7 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($5.3 billion)
--- Furniture, bedding, mattresses, luminaries, light fixtures, prefabricated buildings ($462.5 million)

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#3. Mexico

- Imports: $19.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($6.6 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($2.8 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($2.4 billion)

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#2. China

- Imports: $42.0 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($20.8 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($9.1 billion)
--- Toys, games and sport equipment; parts and accessories ($1.6 billion)

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#1. Canada

- Imports: $63.8 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($47.3 billion)
--- Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones and metals and articles thereof; immitation jewellery; coins ($2.8 billion)
--- Plastics and articles thereof ($1.3 billion)

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Abby Monteil, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.