01Key Takeaways
- Saint Lucia imported $532.91 million worth of goods in 2020, down 14.6% from $623.79 million in 2019, the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset.
- Mineral fuels led import categories at 11.7% ($62.12 million), followed by machinery, boilers and mechanical appliances at 10.1% ($53.86 million).
- The USA supplied 39.8% of imports ($211.96 million), by far the largest single partner.
- Trinidad and Tobago ranked second among partners at 14.1% ($75.14 million), keeping the top three suppliers' combined share at 60.2%.
022-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Value | $623.8M | $532.9M |
03Top Import Markets (2020)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | $212.0M | 39.8% |
| 2 | Trinidad & Tobago | $75.1M | 14.1% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | $33.9M | 6.4% |
| 4 | China | $32.0M | 6.0% |
| 5 | Japan | $15.2M | 2.8% |
| 6 | Barbados | $11.7M | 2.2% |
| 7 | France | $11.2M | 2.1% |
| 8 | Canada | $11.1M | 2.1% |
| 9 | Areas, nes | $8.0M | 1.5% |
| 10 | Mexico | $7.9M | 1.5% |
04Top Import Categories (2020)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes | $62.1M | 11.7% |
| 2 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $53.9M | 10.1% |
| 3 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $34.1M | 6.4% |
| 4 | 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 | $30.5M | 5.7% |
| 5 | Meat and Edible Meat Offal | $21.0M | 3.9% |
| 6 | Plastics and Articles thereof | $20.3M | 3.8% |
| 7 | Beverages, Spirits and Vinegar | $15.1M | 2.8% |
| 8 | Dairy Produce; Birds' Eggs; Natural Honey; Edible Products of Animal Origin, not elsewhere specified or included | $14.2M | 2.7% |
| 9 | 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 | $13.6M | 2.6% |
| 10 | Preparations of Cereals, Flour, Starch or Milk; Pastrycooks' Products | $13.4M | 2.5% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Imports Also Declined in the Most Recent Verified Year
Saint Lucia imported $532.91 million worth of goods in 2020, down 14.6% from $623.79 million in 2019. As with the export side of Saint Lucian trade, covered in the companion data for this country, this dataset's coverage runs from 2019 through 2020 only. That is two confirmed years rather than the five-year window available for most other countries here, and 2020 is the most recent year with verified data.
Import value fell from $623.79 million in 2019 to $532.91 million in 2020. That decline was considerably smaller in percentage terms than the 30.7% drop on the export side of Saint Lucian trade over the same year, meaning imports held up better than exports did. This dataset does not include information explaining either movement.
Mineral Fuels and Machinery Lead a Wide Import List
Mineral fuels and related products led every import category in 2020, worth $62.12 million, or 11.7% of the total. Saint Lucia has long hosted a major oil storage and transshipment terminal on the Cul de Sac river with roughly 10 million barrels of refined petroleum storage capacity, part of why fuel-related trade features prominently in this dataset. Machinery, boilers and mechanical appliances followed at 10.1% ($53.86 million), and vehicles added 6.4% ($34.13 million). Electrical machinery and equipment contributed 5.7% ($30.53 million).
Meat and edible meat offal added 3.9% ($20.95 million), and plastics contributed 3.8% ($20.32 million). Beverages, spirits and vinegar, the same broad category that leads Saint Lucia's export list, added 2.8% ($15.15 million) on the import side, a reminder that the country both produces and brings in products within this category. Dairy produce, eggs and honey contributed 2.7% ($14.16 million), and furniture added 2.6% ($13.61 million). Cereal preparations closed out the top ten at 2.5% ($13.36 million).
A list topped by fuel and machinery, followed by vehicles, food and consumer goods, describes a small island economy importing the energy, equipment and everyday goods it does not produce domestically.
The USA Supplies Nearly Four in Ten Import Dollars
United States supplied 39.8% of Saint Lucia's imports in 2020, worth $211.96 million, by far the largest single partner. Trinidad & Tobago ranked second at 14.1% ($75.14 million), and the United Kingdom followed at 6.4% ($33.94 million). Together, the top three suppliers made up 60.2% of total import value.
China contributed 6.0% ($31.99 million), and Japan added 2.8% ($15.16 million). Barbados contributed 2.2% ($11.66 million), and France added 2.1% ($11.24 million). Canada contributed 2.1% ($11.07 million). A category labeled "Areas, nes," a recognized catch-all classification within international trade statistics for shipments not assigned to a single specific origin, accounted for 1.5% ($7.96 million), just ahead of Mexico at 1.5% ($7.91 million).
The USA's share of Saint Lucia's imports, at 39.8%, is considerably larger than its 28.0% share of Saint Lucia's exports, covered in the companion export data for this country, though the USA ranks as the top partner on both sides of Saint Lucia's trade. That consistency, a single dominant partner across both imports and exports, is one of the more notable features of this dataset's 2020 snapshot.
Taken together, Saint Lucia's 2020 import data, the most recent confirmed year available, describes a small economy sourcing fuel, machinery and consumer goods primarily from the USA, with Trinidad and Tobago playing a meaningful secondary role.