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 New Jersey imports the most goods, using data from the Census Bureau. Countries are ranked by the highest value of imports in 2024 with New Jersey.
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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Evgeniya Uvarova // Shutterstock
1 / 30#30. Argentina
- Imports: $1.4 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Organic chemicals ($653.0 million)
--- Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones and metals and articles thereof; immitation jewellery; coins ($206.0 million)
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($205.0 million)
Hussein Eddeb // Shutterstock
2 / 30#29. Libya
- Imports: $1.4 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($1.4 billion)
--- Inorganic chemicals; precious and rare earth metals and radioactive compounds ($111,897)
--- nan (nan)
ba55ey // Shutterstock
3 / 30#28. Nigeria
- Imports: $1.5 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($1.4 billion)
--- Cocoa and cocoa preparations ($24.7 million)
--- Oil seeds; miscellaneous grain, seed, fruit, plants, etc. ($8.1 million)
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4 / 30#27. Peru
- Imports: $1.5 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Edible fruit and nuts; citrus fruit or melon peel ($855.0 million)
--- Prepared vegetables, fruit, nuts or other plant parts ($118.4 million)
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($114.8 million)
Taras Vyshnya // Shutterstock
5 / 30#26. Australia
- Imports: $1.5 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Meat and edible meat offal ($1.3 billion)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($28.9 million)
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($23.5 million)
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6 / 30#25. Chile
- Imports: $1.6 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Edible fruit and nuts; citrus fruit or melon peel ($980.8 million)
--- Copper and articles thereof ($341.9 million)
--- Fish, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates ($37.4 million)
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7 / 30#24. Portugal
- Imports: $1.6 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($1.0 billion)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($76.0 million)
--- Other made-up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags ($55.2 million)
Creativa Images // Shutterstock
8 / 30#23. Indonesia
- Imports: $1.6 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Cocoa and cocoa preparations ($232.2 million)
--- Animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes ($154.9 million)
--- Fish, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates ($148.5 million)
HandmadePictures // Shutterstock
9 / 30#22. South Africa
- Imports: $2.0 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones and metals and articles thereof; immitation jewellery; coins ($1.5 billion)
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($124.2 million)
--- Edible fruit and nuts; citrus fruit or melon peel ($113.9 million)
Olena Tur // Shutterstock
10 / 30#21. Turkey
- Imports: $2.2 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($294.7 million)
--- Prepared vegetables, fruit, nuts or other plant parts ($294.6 million)
--- Carpets and other textile floor coverings ($153.9 million)
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11 / 30#20. Slovakia
- Imports: $2.2 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($2.2 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($22.8 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($16.6 million)
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12 / 30#19. Netherlands
- Imports: $2.2 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($769.4 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($336.0 million)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($284.4 million)
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13 / 30#18. Thailand
- Imports: $2.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($599.1 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($536.1 million)
--- Preparations of meat, of fish or of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates ($159.5 million)
4kclips // Shutterstock
14 / 30#17. Ireland
- Imports: $2.5 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($1.3 billion)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($622.5 million)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($183.7 million)
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15 / 30Fitria Ramli // Shutterstock
16 / 30#15. Saudi Arabia
- Imports: $2.6 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($2.6 billion)
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($11.7 million)
--- Edible fruit and nuts; citrus fruit or melon peel ($3.0 million)
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
17 / 30#14. Spain
- Imports: $2.8 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($681.9 million)
--- Animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes ($274.9 million)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($242.8 million)
Kampon // Shutterstock
18 / 30#13. South Korea
- Imports: $2.9 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($530.1 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($489.0 million)
--- Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, paper or paperboard ($271.4 million)
Catarina Belova // Shutterstock
19 / 30#12. Brazil
- Imports: $2.9 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($1.0 billion)
--- Prepared vegetables, fruit, nuts or other plant parts ($558.4 million)
--- Coffee, tea, mate and spices ($349.4 million)
Iurii Dzivinskyi // Shutterstock
20 / 30#11. Switzerland
- Imports: $4.0 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($1.6 billion)
--- Clocks and watches and parts thereof ($652.1 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($517.9 million)
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21 / 30#10. Vietnam
- Imports: $4.7 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.9 billion)
--- Furniture, bedding, mattresses, luminaries, light fixtures, prefabricated buildings ($441.7 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($366.3 million)
Stockbym // Shutterstock
22 / 30#9. Japan
- Imports: $4.9 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($2.4 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.0 billion)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($300.4 million)
Tupungato // Shutterstock
23 / 30#8. France
- Imports: $5.9 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations ($1.9 billion)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($616.5 million)
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($613.9 million)
NaughtyNut // Shutterstock
24 / 30#7. Germany
- Imports: $6.9 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($1.8 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($774.5 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($674.7 million)
Aleksandar Todorovic // Shutterstock
25 / 30#6. Mexico
- Imports: $7.0 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Prepared cereal, flour, starch or milk; bakers wares ($1.1 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($946.1 million)
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($893.8 million)
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26 / 30#5. Italy
- Imports: $9.8 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($2.1 billion)
--- Leather art; saddlery, etc.; handbags, etc.; gut articles
Articles of leather; saddlery and harnesses; travel goods, handbags, etc.; articles of gut (other than silkworm) ($690.3 million)
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($656.2 million)
Kriangkrai Thitimakorn // Shutterstock
27 / 30#4. India
- Imports: $10.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($3.2 billion)
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($1.7 billion)
--- Organic chemicals ($554.4 million)
Firefighter Montreal // Shutterstock
28 / 30#3. Canada
- Imports: $10.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($2.4 billion)
--- Copper and articles thereof ($750.0 million)
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($518.1 million)
Nataliya Hora // Shutterstock
29 / 30#2. United Kingdom
- Imports: $11.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($6.8 billion)
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($1.3 billion)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($1.3 billion)
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
30 / 30#1. China
- Imports: $14.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.7 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($1.4 billion)
--- Plastics and articles thereof ($1.1 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.
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