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 Washington, D.C. imports the most goods, using data from the Census Bureau. Countries are ranked by the highest value of imports in 2024 with Washington, D.C..
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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Palmi Gudmundsson // Shutterstock
1 / 30#30. Iceland
- Imports: $2.0 million
- Largest imports:
--- Fish, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates ($1.8 million)
--- Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials ($109,134)
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($101,700)
Evgeniya Uvarova // Shutterstock
2 / 30#29. Argentina
- Imports: $2.2 million
- Largest imports:
--- Prepared vegetables, fruit, nuts or other plant parts ($1.5 million)
--- Food industry residues and waste; prepared animal feed ($483,877)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($72,627)
Nahlik // Shutterstock
3 / 30#28. Poland
- Imports: $2.3 million
- Largest imports:
--- Furniture, bedding, mattresses, luminaries, light fixtures, prefabricated buildings ($684,965)
--- Plastics and articles thereof ($456,023)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($226,849)
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
4 / 30#27. Spain
- Imports: $2.7 million
- Largest imports:
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($839,943)
--- Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques ($401,575)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($400,705)
Jack Bkk // Shutterstock
5 / 30#26. Thailand
- Imports: $2.7 million
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.2 million)
--- Cereals ($780,004)
--- Prepared vegetables, fruit, nuts or other plant parts ($287,057)
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S-F // Shutterstock
6 / 30#25. Belgium
- Imports: $3.6 million
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.9 million)
--- Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques ($386,923)
--- Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal ($286,968)
Kampon // Shutterstock
7 / 30#24. South Korea
- Imports: $5.1 million
- Largest imports:
--- Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations ($2.0 million)
--- Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques ($1.1 million)
--- Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts, and plans ($912,526)
William Perugini // Shutterstock
8 / 30#23. Norway
- Imports: $5.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Fish, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates ($3.5 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.3 million)
--- Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof ($627,900)
Nick N A // Shutterstock
9 / 30#22. Greece
- Imports: $5.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($5.6 million)
--- Animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes ($45,886)
--- Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts, and plans ($26,930)
trezordia // Shutterstock
10 / 30#21. Sweden
- Imports: $6.1 million
- Largest imports:
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($3.8 million)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($515,958)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($443,169)
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Patrick Foto // Shutterstock
11 / 30#20. Malaysia
- Imports: $8.0 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($4.5 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($2.5 million)
--- Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts, and plans ($610,700)
Stockbym // Shutterstock
12 / 30#19. Japan
- Imports: $8.1 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($1.8 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($1.7 million)
--- Glass and glassware ($1.1 million)
Sean Hsu // Shutterstock
13 / 30#18. Singapore
- Imports: $8.4 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($4.9 million)
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($2.4 million)
--- Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof ($487,482)
Efired // Shutterstock
14 / 30#17. Vietnam
- Imports: $10.7 million
- Largest imports:
--- Footwear, gaiters etc. and parts ($4.0 million)
--- Apparel articles and accessories, knit or crochet ($1.2 million)
--- Apparel articles and accessories, not knit ($1.0 million)
Sean Hsu // Shutterstock
15 / 30#16. Taiwan
- Imports: $11.6 million
- Largest imports:
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($7.9 million)
--- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories ($1.6 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($1.3 million)
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16 / 30#15. Netherlands
- Imports: $11.6 million
- Largest imports:
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($5.3 million)
--- Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques ($1.4 million)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($1.3 million)
Pearl-diver // Shutterstock
17 / 30#14. Oman
- Imports: $14.6 million
- Largest imports:
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($14.6 million)
--- Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques ($7,600)
--- Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts, and plans ($2,600)
Catarina Belova // Shutterstock
18 / 30#13. Brazil
- Imports: $17.6 million
- Largest imports:
--- Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques ($15.2 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($702,058)
--- Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal ($525,889)
Iurii Dzivinskyi // Shutterstock
19 / 30#12. Switzerland
- Imports: $17.7 million
- Largest imports:
--- Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts, and plans ($5.2 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($4.5 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($4.3 million)
AlexAnton // Shutterstock
20 / 30Nataliya Hora // Shutterstock
21 / 30#10. United Kingdom
- Imports: $30.4 million
- Largest imports:
--- Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques ($9.0 million)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($3.6 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($2.8 million)
Tupungato // Shutterstock
22 / 30#9. France
- Imports: $35.2 million
- Largest imports:
--- Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques ($7.9 million)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($6.7 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($6.5 million)
M. Vinuesa // Shutterstock
23 / 30#8. Denmark
- Imports: $40.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Special classification provisions not elsewhere specified or included ($15.1 million)
--- Pharmaceutical products ($13.9 million)
--- Fish, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates ($10.2 million)
Olena Tur // Shutterstock
24 / 30#7. Turkey
- Imports: $42.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof ($30.1 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($3.5 million)
--- Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal ($1.6 million)
Kriangkrai Thitimakorn // Shutterstock
25 / 30#6. India
- Imports: $47.0 million
- Largest imports:
--- Pharmaceutical products ($42.6 million)
--- Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones and metals and articles thereof; immitation jewellery; coins ($1.1 million)
--- Apparel articles and accessories, knit or crochet ($547,071)
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Aleksandar Todorovic // Shutterstock
26 / 30#5. Mexico
- Imports: $65.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($30.2 million)
--- Cocoa and cocoa preparations ($20.9 million)
--- Sugars and sugar confectionary ($7.1 million)
NaughtyNut // Shutterstock
27 / 30#4. Germany
- Imports: $71.7 million
- Largest imports:
--- Fish, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates ($24.9 million)
--- Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof ($15.9 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($9.1 million)
Firefighter Montreal // Shutterstock
28 / 30#3. Canada
- Imports: $284.7 million
- Largest imports:
--- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes ($189.7 million)
--- Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof ($22.0 million)
--- Furniture, bedding, mattresses, luminaries, light fixtures, prefabricated buildings ($16.0 million)
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
29 / 30#2. China
- Imports: $364.5 million
- Largest imports:
--- Inorganic chemicals; precious and rare earth metals and radioactive compounds ($323.6 million)
--- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery etc.; parts ($15.0 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($11.0 million)
Taras Vyshnya // Shutterstock
30 / 30#1. Australia
- Imports: $530.8 million
- Largest imports:
--- Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones and metals and articles thereof; immitation jewellery; coins ($529.2 million)
--- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts; sound and TV recorders and reproducers, parts and accessories ($398,037)
--- Beverages, spirits and vinegar ($382,859)
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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