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 North Carolina imports the most goods, using data from the Census Bureau. Countries are ranked by the highest value of imports in 2024 with North Carolina.
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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Nahlik // Shutterstock
1 / 30#30. Poland
- Imports: $557.2 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($175.8 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($128.5 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($55.8 million)
Olena Tur // Shutterstock
2 / 30#29. Turkey
- Imports: $564.1 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($223.5 million)
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($41.6 million)
--- Manmade staple fibers, including yarns and woven fabrics ($41.6 million)
jvphoto.ca // Shutterstock
3 / 30#28. Dominican Republic
- Imports: $570.3 million
- Largest imports:
--- Apparel articles and accessories, knit or crochet ($313.7 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($114.7 million)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($38.4 million)
Marek Poplawski // Shutterstock
4 / 30#27. Honduras
- Imports: $602.2 million
- Largest imports:
--- Apparel articles and accessories, knit or crochet ($491.2 million)
--- Apparel articles and accessories, not knit ($64.3 million)
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($13.2 million)
DaLiu // Shutterstock
5 / 30#26. Czech Republic
- Imports: $611.6 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($374.4 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($78.9 million)
--- Furniture, bedding, mattresses, luminaries, light fixtures, prefabricated buildings ($41.4 million)
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Elena Simona Craciun // Shutterstock
6 / 30#25. Nicaragua
- Imports: $703.4 million
- Largest imports:
--- Apparel articles and accessories, knit or crochet ($675.1 million)
--- Apparel articles and accessories, not knit ($23.9 million)
--- Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers ($1.5 million)
M. Vinuesa // Shutterstock
7 / 30#24. Denmark
- Imports: $703.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($231.9 million)
--- Albuminoidal substances; modified starches;
glues; enzymes ($170.9 million)
--- Organic chemicals ($145.2 million)
Catarina Belova // Shutterstock
8 / 30#23. Brazil
- Imports: $781.7 million
- Largest imports:
--- Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes ($160.7 million)
--- Copper and articles thereof ($106.2 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($84.3 million)
Iurii Dzivinskyi // Shutterstock
9 / 30#22. Switzerland
- Imports: $804.9 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($233.4 million)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($171.5 million)
--- Tools, cutlery etc. of base metal and parts thereof ($88.5 million)
MEDIAIMAG // Shutterstock
10 / 30#21. Austria
- Imports: $807.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($278.8 million)
--- Miscellaneous articles of base metal ($128.2 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($123.3 million)
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Creativa Images // Shutterstock
11 / 30#20. Indonesia
- Imports: $885.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes ($204.0 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($152.2 million)
--- Rubber and articles thereof ($147.8 million)
Jack Bkk // Shutterstock
12 / 30#19. Thailand
- Imports: $998.5 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($201.2 million)
--- Rubber and articles thereof ($134.8 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($118.2 million)
Kampon // Shutterstock
13 / 30#18. South Korea
- Imports: $1.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($254.9 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($220.3 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($167.2 million)
Sean Hsu // Shutterstock
14 / 30#17. Taiwan
- Imports: $1.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($391.0 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($207.8 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($97.7 million)
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
15 / 30#16. Spain
- Imports: $1.4 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($466.8 million)
--- Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations ($318.3 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($116.1 million)
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S-F // Shutterstock
16 / 30#15. Belgium
- Imports: $1.4 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($974.6 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($130.0 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($67.1 million)
Nataliya Hora // Shutterstock
17 / 30#14. United Kingdom
- Imports: $1.9 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($649.7 million)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($207.8 million)
--- Inorganic chemicals; precious and rare earth metals and radioactive compounds ($186.5 million)
Kriangkrai Thitimakorn // Shutterstock
18 / 30#13. India
- Imports: $2.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($380.1 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($338.7 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($170.4 million)
Efired // Shutterstock
19 / 30#12. Vietnam
- Imports: $2.2 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Furniture, bedding, mattresses, luminaries, light fixtures, prefabricated buildings ($558.1 million)
--- Apparel articles and accessories, knit or crochet ($476.1 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($237.1 million)
AlexAnton // Shutterstock
20 / 30#11. Italy
- Imports: $2.5 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($884.2 million)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($381.6 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($216.5 million)
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21 / 30#10. Japan
- Imports: $2.6 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($1.0 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($584.0 million)
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($179.3 million)
Sean Hsu // Shutterstock
22 / 30#9. Singapore
- Imports: $2.7 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Organic chemicals ($1.6 billion)
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($689.8 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($118.9 million)
Tupungato // Shutterstock
23 / 30#8. France
- Imports: $2.8 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($1.5 billion)
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($153.7 million)
--- Inorganic chemicals; precious and rare earth metals and radioactive compounds ($153.0 million)
trezordia // Shutterstock
24 / 30#7. Sweden
- Imports: $4.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($3.8 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($221.4 million)
--- Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal ($89.5 million)
Firefighter Montreal // Shutterstock
25 / 30Yasonya // Shutterstock
26 / 30#5. Netherlands
- Imports: $5.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($3.6 billion)
--- Organic chemicals ($935.8 million)
--- Inorganic chemicals; precious and rare earth metals and radioactive compounds ($103.8 million)
NaughtyNut // Shutterstock
27 / 30#4. Germany
- Imports: $6.3 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($1.8 billion)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($1.6 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($628.0 million)
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
28 / 30#3. China
- Imports: $7.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($2.2 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.1 billion)
--- Plastics and articles thereof ($375.8 million)
Aleksandar Todorovic // Shutterstock
29 / 30#2. Mexico
- Imports: $11.6 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($4.8 billion)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($3.6 billion)
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($515.0 million)
4kclips // Shutterstock
30 / 30#1. Ireland
- Imports: $12.1 billion
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($11.2 billion)
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($359.6 million)
--- Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations ($214.8 million)
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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