Home > Countries > China > Private Sector & Trade > Imports

China - Merchandise imports

Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 5.67 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 7.24 in 2012, while its lowest value was 0.52 in 1986.

Definition: Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from economies in the Arab World. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	4.01
1978	1.58
1979	0.99
1980	1.77
1981	1.37
1982	1.50
1983	1.93
1984	1.48
1985	0.57
1986	0.52
1987	0.76
1988	1.16
1989	1.14
1990	1.02
1991	1.36
1992	1.20
1993	1.31
1994	1.00
1995	1.53
1996	1.92
1997	2.35
1998	1.86
1999	1.78
2000	3.92
2001	3.08
2002	2.75
2003	3.00
2004	3.40
2005	4.20
2006	4.34
2007	4.28
2008	6.21
2009	5.19
2010	5.77
2011	6.78
2012	7.24
2013	7.05
2014	6.99
2015	5.46
2016	4.40
2017	5.04
2018	6.51
2019	7.04
2020	5.67

Merchandise imports (current US$)

The value for Merchandise imports (current US$) in China was 2,057,220,000,000 as of 2020. As the graph below shows, over the past 60 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 2,135,750,000,000 in 2018 and a minimum value of 1,373,000,000 in 1962.

Definition: Merchandise imports show the c.i.f. value of goods received from the rest of the world valued in current U.S. dollars.

Source: World Trade Organization.

See also:

Year	Value
1960	2,648,000,000
1961	1,747,000,000
1962	1,373,000,000
1963	1,450,000,000
1964	1,710,000,000
1965	2,246,000,000
1966	2,482,000,000
1967	2,169,000,000
1968	2,068,000,000
1969	1,917,000,000
1970	2,279,000,000
1971	2,129,000,000
1972	2,851,000,000
1973	5,208,000,000
1974	7,791,000,000
1975	7,926,000,000
1976	6,660,000,000
1977	7,148,000,000
1978	11,131,000,000
1979	15,621,000,000
1980	19,941,000,000
1981	22,014,000,000
1982	19,285,000,000
1983	21,390,000,000
1984	27,410,000,000
1985	42,252,000,000
1986	42,904,000,000
1987	43,216,000,000
1988	55,268,000,000
1989	59,142,000,000
1990	53,345,000,000
1991	63,791,000,000
1992	80,585,000,000
1993	103,959,000,000
1994	115,615,000,000
1995	132,084,000,000
1996	138,833,000,000
1997	142,370,000,000
1998	140,237,000,000
1999	165,699,000,000
2000	225,094,000,000
2001	243,553,000,000
2002	295,170,000,000
2003	412,760,000,000
2004	561,229,000,000
2005	659,953,000,000
2006	791,461,000,000
2007	956,116,000,000
2008	1,132,570,000,000
2009	1,005,920,000,000
2010	1,396,250,000,000
2011	1,743,480,000,000
2012	1,818,410,000,000
2013	1,949,990,000,000
2014	1,959,230,000,000
2015	1,679,570,000,000
2016	1,587,930,000,000
2017	1,843,790,000,000
2018	2,135,750,000,000
2019	2,078,390,000,000
2020	2,057,220,000,000

Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 63.57 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 87.20 in 1991, while its lowest value was 61.84 in 2012.

Definition: Merchandise imports from high-income economies are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from high-income economies according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	80.80
1978	74.96
1979	78.91
1980	82.16
1981	83.40
1982	79.33
1983	79.78
1984	83.77
1985	84.61
1986	84.26
1987	85.10
1988	81.78
1989	79.86
1990	84.91
1991	87.20
1992	85.02
1993	84.13
1994	85.53
1995	84.39
1996	82.69
1997	82.60
1998	83.94
1999	83.15
2000	78.99
2001	78.49
2002	76.81
2003	74.08
2004	72.54
2005	69.76
2006	68.14
2007	66.88
2008	65.60
2009	66.46
2010	64.79
2011	63.51
2012	61.84
2013	63.10
2014	63.50
2015	65.33
2016	66.12
2017	65.20
2018	63.74
2019	62.88
2020	63.57

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 16.84 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 18.79 in 2012, while its lowest value was 3.44 in 1991.

Definition: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from other low- and middle-income economies in other World Bank regions according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	11.21
1978	8.38
1979	7.93
1980	7.04
1981	8.25
1982	8.32
1983	9.66
1984	5.53
1985	5.02
1986	4.49
1987	3.68
1988	5.01
1989	5.75
1990	4.16
1991	3.44
1992	7.83
1993	9.72
1994	7.55
1995	7.86
1996	9.35
1997	9.45
1998	7.71
1999	7.57
2000	9.80
2001	10.26
2002	9.70
2003	10.63
2004	11.47
2005	12.66
2006	12.94
2007	14.10
2008	16.86
2009	15.44
2010	16.12
2011	18.16
2012	18.79
2013	18.00
2014	17.87
2015	14.69
2016	14.12
2017	15.62
2018	17.50
2019	18.19
2020	16.84

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 13.40 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 13.40 in 2020, while its lowest value was 2.84 in 1985.

Definition: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia and Pacific are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the East Asia and Pacific region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	6.32
1978	4.69
1979	4.18
1980	3.95
1981	3.33
1982	6.08
1983	4.06
1984	3.81
1985	2.84
1986	3.00
1987	4.21
1988	4.40
1989	4.16
1990	4.51
1991	4.70
1992	4.25
1993	3.96
1994	4.41
1995	5.11
1996	5.43
1997	5.88
1998	6.19
1999	6.76
2000	7.78
2001	7.58
2002	8.32
2003	9.08
2004	8.92
2005	9.05
2006	9.32
2007	9.74
2008	8.82
2009	9.06
2010	9.61
2011	9.85
2012	9.60
2013	9.06
2014	9.54
2015	10.54
2016	11.21
2017	11.51
2018	11.51
2019	12.38
2020	13.40

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Europe & Central Asia (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 4.41 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 42 years was 6.29 in 1993, while its lowest value was 0.04 in 1978.

Definition: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Europe and Central Asia are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the Europe and Central Asia region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1978	0.04
1980	0.16
1981	0.30
1982	0.46
1983	0.42
1984	0.29
1985	0.20
1986	0.49
1987	0.52
1988	0.55
1989	0.57
1990	0.31
1991	0.23
1992	4.93
1993	6.29
1994	4.43
1995	3.83
1996	4.59
1997	3.63
1998	3.11
1999	3.22
2000	3.37
2001	4.07
2002	3.71
2003	3.33
2004	3.00
2005	3.26
2006	3.00
2007	3.08
2008	3.19
2009	3.27
2010	3.29
2011	3.92
2012	4.22
2013	3.94
2014	3.69
2015	3.59
2016	3.24
2017	3.54
2018	4.08
2019	4.49
2020	4.41

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Latin America & the Caribbean (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Latin America & the Caribbean (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 6.42 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 6.42 in 2020, while its lowest value was 0.75 in 1961.

Definition: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Latin America and the Caribbean are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the Latin America and the Caribbean region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	0.75
1978	4.77
1979	5.44
1980	3.30
1981	3.81
1982	4.15
1983	6.04
1984	3.00
1985	3.70
1986	3.07
1987	2.39
1988	3.47
1989	3.56
1990	2.50
1991	2.07
1992	1.69
1993	1.49
1994	1.69
1995	1.98
1996	2.20
1997	2.26
1998	1.79
1999	1.33
2000	1.72
2001	2.11
2002	2.21
2003	2.89
2004	3.05
2005	3.06
2006	3.20
2007	3.89
2008	4.68
2009	4.58
2010	4.65
2011	4.87
2012	4.82
2013	4.59
2014	4.64
2015	4.71
2016	4.74
2017	5.19
2018	5.62
2019	6.21
2020	6.42

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle East & North Africa (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle East & North Africa (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 1.48 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 3.35 in 1961, while its lowest value was 0.23 in 1986.

Definition: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Middle East and North Africa are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the Middle East and North Africa region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	3.35
1978	1.60
1979	0.88
1980	1.46
1981	1.04
1982	1.31
1983	1.04
1984	0.73
1985	0.30
1986	0.23
1987	0.29
1988	0.33
1989	0.49
1990	0.40
1991	0.30
1992	0.44
1993	0.79
1994	0.34
1995	0.59
1996	0.78
1997	0.98
1998	0.93
1999	0.96
2000	1.52
2001	1.35
2002	1.11
2003	1.31
2004	1.34
2005	1.80
2006	1.95
2007	2.02
2008	2.54
2009	2.31
2010	2.49
2011	2.89
2012	2.87
2013	2.74
2014	2.82
2015	2.07
2016	1.75
2017	2.03
2018	2.53
2019	2.24
2020	1.48

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South Asia (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South Asia (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 1.17 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 4.53 in 1961, while its lowest value was 0.24 in 1987.

Definition: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in South Asia are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the South Asia region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	4.53
1978	0.96
1979	0.60
1980	1.27
1981	2.29
1982	1.37
1983	1.02
1984	0.55
1985	0.29
1986	0.28
1987	0.24
1988	0.38
1989	0.63
1990	0.40
1991	0.35
1992	0.35
1993	0.51
1994	0.45
1995	0.52
1996	0.80
1997	0.95
1998	0.95
1999	0.75
2000	0.84
2001	0.95
2002	0.97
2003	1.18
2004	1.49
2005	1.63
2006	1.47
2007	1.67
2008	1.90
2009	1.51
2010	1.65
2011	1.50
2012	1.25
2013	1.08
2014	1.03
2015	1.06
2016	0.93
2017	1.06
2018	1.05
2019	1.03
2020	1.17

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 3.36 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 5.69 in 2014, while its lowest value was 0.23 in 1987.

Definition: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from low- and middle-income economies in the Sub-Saharan Africa region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are expressed as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	2.59
1978	1.01
1979	1.02
1980	0.85
1981	0.79
1982	1.03
1983	1.13
1984	0.96
1985	0.54
1986	0.42
1987	0.23
1988	0.27
1989	0.51
1990	0.54
1991	0.48
1992	0.42
1993	0.63
1994	0.64
1995	0.95
1996	0.98
1997	1.63
1998	0.92
1999	1.30
2000	2.35
2001	1.79
2002	1.71
2003	1.91
2004	2.59
2005	2.92
2006	3.32
2007	3.44
2008	4.55
2009	3.77
2010	4.04
2011	4.99
2012	5.63
2013	5.66
2014	5.69
2015	3.25
2016	3.44
2017	3.81
2018	4.22
2019	4.22
2020	3.36

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy, residual (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 6.19 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 11.97 in 1978, while its lowest value was 1.67 in 1961.

Definition: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy residuals are the total merchandise imports by the reporting economy from the rest of the world as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database, less the sum of imports by the reporting economy from high-, low-, and middle-income economies according to the World Bank classification of economies. Includes trade with unspecified partners or with economies not covered by World Bank classification. Data are as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	1.67
1978	11.97
1979	8.98
1980	6.85
1981	5.02
1982	6.27
1983	6.50
1984	6.89
1985	7.53
1986	8.25
1987	7.01
1988	8.81
1989	10.23
1990	6.43
1991	4.67
1992	2.90
1993	2.19
1994	2.51
1995	2.63
1996	2.52
1997	2.07
1998	2.16
1999	2.52
2000	3.43
2001	3.66
2002	5.17
2003	6.22
2004	7.06
2005	8.53
2006	9.61
2007	9.28
2008	8.71
2009	9.04
2010	9.49
2011	8.48
2012	9.77
2013	9.84
2014	9.09
2015	9.44
2016	8.55
2017	7.67
2018	7.25
2019	6.55
2020	6.19

Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$)

The latest value for Merchandise imports by the reporting economy (current US$) in China was $2,060,260,000,000 as of 2020. Over the past 59 years, the value for this indicator has fluctuated between $2,134,030,000,000 in 2018 and $669,100,000 in 1961.

Definition: Merchandise imports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise imports by the reporting economy from the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	$669,100,000
1978	$10,813,200,000
1979	$15,561,400,000
1980	$19,505,000,000
1981	$21,630,500,000
1982	$18,915,500,000
1983	$21,306,400,000
1984	$25,953,400,000
1985	$42,480,200,000
1986	$43,275,400,000
1987	$43,222,700,000
1988	$55,352,100,000
1989	$59,140,920,000
1990	$53,809,660,000
1991	$63,876,830,000
1992	$81,871,520,000
1993	$103,627,000,000
1994	$115,706,000,000
1995	$132,163,000,000
1996	$138,949,000,000
1997	$142,163,000,000
1998	$140,385,000,000
1999	$165,718,000,000
2000	$225,175,000,000
2001	$243,567,000,000
2002	$295,440,000,000
2003	$413,095,000,000
2004	$560,811,000,000
2005	$660,202,000,000
2006	$791,787,000,000
2007	$956,255,000,000
2008	$1,131,920,000,000
2009	$1,003,890,000,000
2010	$1,393,910,000,000
2011	$1,741,430,000,000
2012	$1,817,340,000,000
2013	$1,949,300,000,000
2014	$1,963,110,000,000
2015	$1,601,760,000,000
2016	$1,589,460,000,000
2017	$1,832,130,000,000
2018	$2,134,030,000,000
2019	$2,068,950,000,000
2020	$2,060,260,000,000

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within region (% of total merchandise imports)

Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within region (% of total merchandise imports) in China was 13.40 as of 2020. Its highest value over the past 59 years was 13.40 in 2020, while its lowest value was 2.84 in 1985.

Definition: Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies within region are the sum of merchandise imports by the reporting economy from other low- and middle-income economies in the same World Bank region according to the World Bank classification of economies. Data are as a percentage of total merchandise imports by the economy. Data are computed only if at least half of the economies in the partner country group had non-missing data. No figures are shown for high-income economies, because they are a separate category in the World Bank classification of economies.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based data from International Monetary Fund's Direction of Trade database.

See also:

Year	Value
1961	6.32
1978	4.69
1979	4.18
1980	3.95
1981	3.33
1982	6.08
1983	4.06
1984	3.81
1985	2.84
1986	3.00
1987	4.21
1988	4.40
1989	4.16
1990	4.51
1991	4.70
1992	4.25
1993	3.96
1994	4.41
1995	5.11
1996	5.43
1997	5.88
1998	6.19
1999	6.76
2000	7.78
2001	7.58
2002	8.32
2003	9.08
2004	8.92
2005	9.05
2006	9.32
2007	9.74
2008	8.82
2009	9.06
2010	9.61
2011	9.85
2012	9.60
2013	9.06
2014	9.54
2015	10.54
2016	11.21
2017	11.51
2018	11.51
2019	12.38
2020	13.40

Classification

Topic: Private Sector & Trade Indicators

Sub-Topic: Imports