Bosnia Herzegovina Import Data: $15.35B in 2023, Down 0.2%

Italy and Germany Lead a Diversified Supplier List

Bosnia and Herzegovina imported $15.35 billion worth of goods in 2023, the latest year with verified trade data in this dataset. That total marks a decline of 0.2% from the $15.38 billion recorded in 2022, essentially flat after two years of sharp growth. Italy was the largest supplier, providing 13.9% of the total, worth $2.14 billion.

Germany ranked second at 12.0% ($1.84 billion), ahead of Serbia at 10.3% ($1.58 billion) and China at 9.5% ($1.45 billion). Croatia took fifth place at 7.5% ($1.16 billion), followed by Turkey at 5.5% ($851.47 million) and Slovenia at 3.9% ($593.36 million). Austria took eighth place at 3.6% ($551.20 million), Poland added 3.1% ($481.39 million), and the United States rounded out the top ten at 2.8% ($437.42 million). Together, the top three suppliers made up 36.2% of total import value.

That level of diversification is even lower than what shows up on Bosnia and Herzegovina's export side, and it goes hand in hand with a persistent trade imbalance. Lloyds Bank Trade reports that the country runs a structural trade deficit, with the World Bank estimating the external balance on goods and services at negative 11.8% of GDP, and lists Italy, Germany, China, and Serbia among the country's top suppliers, a lineup that matches the top four here closely. Croatia, Türkiye, and Slovenia's presence reflects the same regional trade corridors that carry Bosnian exports back the other way, while Austria, Poland, and the USA round out a supplier base that stretches well beyond Bosnia and Herzegovina's immediate neighborhood. Poland's ninth-place position is a relatively recent development for many Central and Southeast European supply chains, reflecting the country's growing manufacturing base and its position as a major logistics hub for goods moving across the region.

Fuel and Machinery Lead a Broad Import Mix

Mineral fuels, mineral oils and related distillation products led all import categories in 2023, worth $2.03 billion and accounting for 13.2% of total import value, well ahead of every other category. Machinery and mechanical appliances, boilers and nuclear reactors followed at 8.6% ($1.32 billion), and vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock ranked third at 7.5% ($1.15 billion).

Electrical machinery and equipment added 6.9% ($1.07 billion), while plastics and articles thereof contributed 5.2% ($791.80 million). Iron and steel brought in 3.8% ($583.80 million), and aluminium and articles thereof added 3.2% ($485.62 million). Pharmaceutical products contributed 3.1% ($477.35 million), iron or steel articles added 2.9% ($438.68 million), and copper and articles thereof closed out the top ten at 2.0% ($310.82 million).

Fuel's leading position mirrors a pattern common across the region, where limited domestic refining capacity leaves countries dependent on imported gasoline, diesel, and related products for transport and power generation. Machinery, vehicles, and electrical equipment further down the list point to steady demand for industrial and consumer goods that Bosnia and Herzegovina does not manufacture domestically at scale. The presence of iron, steel, aluminium, and copper as import categories is notable given that the same metals rank among the country's leading export categories in finished form, a pattern consistent with a metal processing industry that imports raw and semi-finished material before fabricating it into the iron, steel, and aluminium articles that show up further up the export list. Pharmaceutical products round out a top ten that otherwise leans heavily toward energy, transport, and industrial inputs, with almost nothing on the list pointing toward finished consumer goods beyond vehicles and electronics.

A Strong Climb, Then a Plateau

Bosnia and Herzegovina's imports followed a mostly upward path over the past five years before leveling off. Imports fell from $11.16 billion in 2019 to $9.87 billion in 2020, likely reflecting disrupted shipping and softer demand during the early stages of the global pandemic, then climbed sharply to $13.03 billion in 2021 and further to a five-year high of $15.38 billion in 2022. Imports held essentially flat in 2023, easing 0.2% to $15.35 billion.

The near-identical totals in 2022 and 2023 suggest import demand has plateaued after two years of rapid growth, rather than reversing course. Combined with the modest 4.6% pullback on the export side over the same span, the overall picture points to a trade relationship settling into a wider, steadier pattern after an unusually strong stretch in 2021 and 2022. 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.