01Key Takeaways
- Antigua and Barbuda's imports totaled $669.7 million in 2023, up 6.6% from $627.9 million in 2022, a third consecutive year of growth.
- The USA was overwhelmingly the top source, supplying 50.6% of imports worth $339.08 million, more than nine times what the second-ranked partner shipped in.
- Japan ranked a distant second at 5.1% ($34.30 million), followed by Trinidad and Tobago at 4.2% ($28.30 million).
- Vehicles led all import categories at 10.3% of total value ($68.68 million), with machinery and mechanical appliances second at 8.9% ($59.59 million).
025-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $568.3M | $498.1M | $595.5M | $627.9M | $669.7M |
03Top Import Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $339.1M | 50.6% |
| 2 | Japan | $34.3M | 5.1% |
| 3 | Trinidad & Tobago | $28.3M | 4.2% |
| 4 | China | $27.7M | 4.1% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | $26.8M | 4.0% |
| 6 | India | $16.5M | 2.5% |
| 7 | Brazil | $12.6M | 1.9% |
| 8 | Dominican Republic | $11.5M | 1.7% |
| 9 | Italy | $11.3M | 1.7% |
| 10 | Jamaica | $10.5M | 1.6% |
04Top Import Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $68.7M | 10.3% |
| 2 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $59.6M | 8.9% |
| 3 | Electrical Machinery and Equipment and parts thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of such Articles | $48.9M | 7.3% |
| 4 | Furniture; Bedding, Mattresses, Mattress Supports, Cushions and similar Stuffed Furnishings; Lamps and Lighting Fittings, not elsewhere specified or included; Illuminated Signs, Illuminated Name-plates and the like; Prefabricated Buildings | $35.8M | 5.4% |
| 5 | Articles of Iron or Steel | $33.7M | 5.0% |
| 6 | Beverages, Spirits and Vinegar | $29.1M | 4.3% |
| 7 | Meat and Edible Meat Offal | $27.2M | 4.1% |
| 8 | Wood and Articles of Wood; Wood Charcoal | $25.3M | 3.8% |
| 9 | Plastics and Articles thereof | $24.5M | 3.7% |
| 10 | Miscellaneous Edible Preparations | $19.4M | 2.9% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Antigua and Barbuda's Top Import Sources in 2023
Antigua and Barbuda imported $669.7 million worth of goods in 2023, the latest year with verified trade data in this dataset. That total marks an increase of 6.6% over the $627.9 million recorded in 2022, a third straight year of growth. The United States supplied an overwhelming 50.6% of the country's imports, worth $339.08 million, more than nine times what the second-ranked partner shipped in.
Japan ranked a distant second at 5.1% ($34.30 million), ahead of Trinidad & Tobago at 4.2% ($28.30 million) and China at 4.1% ($27.73 million). The United Kingdom took fifth place at 4.0% ($26.76 million), followed by India at 2.5% ($16.53 million) and Brazil at 1.9% ($12.58 million). Dominican Republic supplied 1.7% ($11.52 million), Italy added 1.7% ($11.32 million), and Jamaica rounded out the top ten at 1.6% ($10.49 million). Together, the top three sources made up 60.0% of total import value.
The USA's share alone exceeds the combined total of every other partner in the top ten, a pattern consistent with close commercial and logistical ties between Antigua and Barbuda and the American market, including supply chains that support the country's tourism sector. Beyond the USA, the remaining nine partners in the top ten are far more evenly spread, each holding under 6% of the total, a mix of established trading nations spanning North America, Asia, Europe, and neighboring Caribbean and Latin American economies. That combination of one dominant source and a long, gradually tapering tail leaves the overall import total highly sensitive to any disruption in trade with the United States specifically, far more so than any change involving a secondary partner. Japan's strong second-place ranking likely reflects vehicle imports, given the size of the vehicles category discussed below. Trinidad and Tobago's presence in the top three also points to intra-Caribbean trade in refined fuel products and manufactured goods, a regional relationship distinct from Antigua and Barbuda's larger overseas trading partners.
Leading Import Categories
Vehicles and related parts and accessories led all import categories in 2023, worth $68.68 million and accounting for 10.3% of total import value. Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery, and mechanical appliances followed at 8.9%, worth $59.59 million, and electrical machinery and equipment ranked third at 7.3% ($48.94 million).
Furniture, bedding, and lighting fittings added 5.4% ($35.84 million), while iron or steel articles contributed 5.0% ($33.74 million). Beverages, spirits, and vinegar brought in 4.3% ($29.10 million), and meat and edible meat offal added 4.1% ($27.20 million). Wood and articles of wood contributed 3.8% ($25.35 million), plastics added 3.7% ($24.48 million), and miscellaneous edible preparations closed out the top ten at 2.9% ($19.37 million).
The category mix, spanning vehicles, machinery, furniture, and a range of food products, points to steady demand tied to construction, hospitality, and household consumption, consistent with an economy where tourism and related services play a substantial role. The presence of beverages, meat, and miscellaneous edible preparations among the top ten also signals a meaningful food import component, a common pattern for small island economies with limited domestic agricultural capacity. None of the categories past the top three clears 6% of total import value, and the gap between them narrows gradually rather than dropping off sharply, with the tenth-ranked category still holding a measurable 2.9% share. That gradual taper across the full top ten, rather than a steep drop after the top one or two categories, suggests import demand is distributed across several moderately sized sectors instead of concentrated in a single dominant one.
A Third Consecutive Year of Import Growth
The five-year trend shows imports dipping in 2020 before recovering and climbing steadily. Imports moved from $568.34 million in 2019 to $498.11 million in 2020, then recovered to $595.52 million in 2021, climbed further to $627.95 million in 2022, and reached $669.65 million in 2023. That pattern points to three consecutive years of growth since the 2020 low, with the 2023 total now running well above the 2019 starting point.
This pattern is consistent with the World Bank's WITS trade summary for Antigua and Barbuda, which confirms the USA's dominant role as the country's leading import source alongside the broader import totals recorded for 2023. For a closer look at how individual partner countries or product categories break down year over year, the data panels above provide the full detail behind these figures.