The United States, Germany and China led the way among the world’s largest car importers in 2022, according to data from the World Trade Organization (WTO).
On 2021, auto imports to the United States grew 13.7 percent in 2022, while the corresponding imports from Germany rose 0.3 percent and those from China fell 1.1 percent.
That way, U.S. imports were $168 billion, followed by Germany ($68 billion) and China ($52 billion).
So, by far, the U.S. is the largest automotive import market globally. How did this market perform?
Stellantis refers that U.S. industry sales, including medium and heavy vehicles, plus commercial vehicles, declined by 1.3 million units in 2022 versus 15.4 million units in 2021.
Despite an increase in semiconductor chip supply that impacted sales growth in 2021, the industry’s 2022 sales decline was due to headwinds driven by inflation, low consumer confidence, pricing actions, and ongoing supply chain and production challenges.
In 2022, 26.9 million vehicles (passenger cars and commercial vehicles) were sold in China, representing a year-on-year increase of 2.1 percent.
Other outstanding importers were the United Kingdom ($45 billion, +30.7 percent), France ($37 billion (-7.7 percent) and Belgium ($35 billion, +0.8 percent).
Car importers
In 2022, the automotive industry in Europe declined 6.2 percent compared to 2021, due to supply constraints and the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, in 2022, total industry volume in the Middle East and Africa decreased slightly by 0.8%, despite growth in the Middle East and South African markets.
Both the Egyptian and Algerian markets declined by 42% and 23.9%, respectively, as a result of supply constraints and sensitivity around geopolitical environments.
The automotive industry in the India and Asia Pacific segment has shown year-on-year growth, with industry sales increasing 7.4% to 13.6 million units in 2022 compared to 2021.
The top 10 importers list is rounded out by Canada ($32 billion, +14.6%), Italy ($25 billion, -0.1%), Australia ($19 billion, +9.2%) and Spain ($17 billion, +13 percent).
