01Key Takeaways
- Uruguay imported $12.49 billion worth of goods in 2023, down 3.8% from $12.97 billion in 2022, a modest pullback and the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset.
- Mineral fuels led every import category at 16.4% ($2.05 billion), the largest single category on this list.
- Brazil was Uruguay's largest import partner, supplying 21.9% of imports, worth $2.73 billion.
- The top three import partners together accounted for 53.0% of total import value.
025-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $8.2B | $7.6B | $10.3B | $13.0B | $12.5B |
03Top Import Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | $2.7B | 21.9% |
| 2 | China | $2.4B | 19.1% |
| 3 | Argentina | $1.5B | 12.0% |
| 4 | United States | $1.1B | 8.8% |
| 5 | Nigeria | $534.4M | 4.3% |
| 6 | India | $325.7M | 2.6% |
| 7 | Spain | $297.0M | 2.4% |
| 8 | Germany | $291.7M | 2.3% |
| 9 | Paraguay | $274.0M | 2.2% |
| 10 | Mexico | $237.5M | 1.9% |
04Top Import Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes | $2.1B | 16.4% |
| 2 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $1.6B | 12.8% |
| 3 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $1.2B | 9.8% |
| 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 | $889.4M | 7.1% |
| 5 | Plastics and Articles thereof | $567.6M | 4.5% |
| 6 | Pharmaceutical Products | $380.4M | 3.0% |
| 7 | Fertilisers | $368.8M | 3.0% |
| 8 | Miscellaneous Chemical Products | $350.2M | 2.8% |
| 9 | Meat and Edible Meat Offal | $304.2M | 2.4% |
| 10 | Residues and Waste from the Food Industries; Prepared Animal Fodder | $260.5M | 2.1% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Import Value Eased Back in 2023 After a Sharp Two-Year Climb
Uruguay imported $12.49 billion worth of goods in 2023, down 3.8% from $12.97 billion in 2022. This is the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset. The dataset covers a full five years, from 2019 through 2023, tracking the import side of trade for this South American economy.
Import value stood at $8.25 billion in 2019. It fell to $7.56 billion in 2020, the low point of this five-year window, before climbing sharply for two consecutive years. Import value reached $10.32 billion in 2021 and $12.97 billion in 2022, the high point of this five-year window, before easing back to $12.49 billion in 2023.
This dataset does not explain the 2020 dip or the sharp two-year climb that followed. A decline of 3.8% describes a modest pullback rather than a sharp reversal. It holds on to nearly all of the gains built up over the previous two years. That pullback is far gentler than the sharp 17.8% drop recorded on the export side of trade for this same country in 2023. Import value in 2023 nonetheless remains well above every year in this window before 2022.
Fuel and Vehicles Anchor an Import List Tied to Global Energy Sourcing
Mineral fuels led every import category in 2023, worth $2.05 billion, or 16.4% of the total, the largest single category on this list. Nigeria is among the crude oil suppliers that account for a meaningful share of Uruguay's fuel imports, a pattern reflected in Nigeria ranking among Uruguay's top five import partners and mineral fuels topping this import list. Vehicles ranked second at 12.8%, worth $1.60 billion. Machinery and mechanical appliances followed at 9.8%, worth $1.23 billion. These first three categories together account for well over a third of total import value.
Electrical machinery and equipment contributed 7.1%, worth $889.37 million, and plastics added a further 4.5%, worth $567.61 million. These first five categories together account for well over half of total import value, leaving a far smaller share for the remaining chemical and food-related categories on this list.
Pharmaceutical products contributed 3.0% ($380.41 million), essentially tied with fertilizers at 3.0% ($368.82 million). Chemical products not elsewhere classified added a further 2.8%, worth $350.20 million overall. Meat and edible meat offal contributed 2.4% ($304.23 million), and food industries residues and prepared animal fodder closed out the top ten at 2.1%, worth $260.48 million, the very smallest share among all ten categories on this list. A long tail of chemicals and processed goods fills out the rest of this list. These ten categories span energy, transport, machinery and chemicals, reflecting an economy importing both immediate necessities and inputs for domestic industry.
Brazil, China and Argentina Lead a Highly Concentrated Partner List
Brazil was Uruguay's largest import partner in 2023, taking 21.9% of imports, worth $2.73 billion. China ranked second at 19.1%, worth $2.38 billion. Argentina followed at 12.0%, worth $1.50 billion. Together, these top three partners accounted for 53.0% of total import value, a notably concentrated grouping similar in scale to the export side of trade for this country. That similarity suggests Uruguay's overall trade, not just one direction of it, leans heavily on a small handful of partners.
United States contributed 8.8% ($1.10 billion), and Nigeria added 4.3%, worth $534.37 million, a notable presence tied to crude oil purchases described above. India followed at 2.6%, worth $325.68 million. These middle-ranked partners span North America, West Africa and South Asia, a mix distinct from the neighboring economies leading this list.
Spain contributed 2.4% ($297.04 million). Germany added 2.3%, worth $291.68 million, and Paraguay contributed 2.2% ($274.05 million). Mexico closed out the top ten at 1.9%, worth $237.49 million, the smallest share here among the ten partners listed. This list is dominated by neighboring South American economies alongside China, the USA and Nigeria. Ranks four through ten here are packed within roughly seven percentage points of each other, a far tighter cluster than the wide gaps separating the top three.
Taken together, this dataset's most recent confirmed year describes an import profile anchored in fuel and vehicles, easing back modestly after a sharp two-year climb. That profile is sourced from a partner base led by neighboring Brazil and Argentina alongside China, a concentration level closely matching the export side of trade for this same country.