Latest News Stream - Imports Yoy

Indonesia's imports rose 18.41% year-on-year to USD 24.23 billion in September 2026, falling short of expectations for a 20.83% surge and slowing from a 19.09% increase in August, marking the softest growth since March. Oil and gas imports grew 23.94% year-on-year to USD 3.27 billion, boosted by higher purchases of oil products (37.01%), while crude oil imports dropped 7.00%. Non-oil and gas imports rose 17.59% year-on-year to USD 20.97 billion, mainly driven by increased purchases of machinery and mechanical appliances and parts thereof (1.32%), electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof (25.87%), and plastics and plastic products (16.27%). Among trading partners, China was the largest source of non-oil and gas imports, with purchases surging 30.23%, followed by Japan (5.78%), ASEAN (20.98%), and the EU (18.21%). By contrast, imports from the US fell 16.63%. In the first nine months of the year, imports increased 19.67% to USD 210.63 billion.

South Korea’s imports surged 36.0% year-on-year to a record high of USD 72.78 billion in October 2026, below market expectations of 39.9% but accelerating from a 26.0% rise in the previous month, flash data showed. It was the 12th consecutive month of growth in imports and the fastest increase since January 2022, driven by robust domestic industrial demand. Energy imports surged 63.1% from a year earlier to USD 16.49 billion, amid rising global oil prices. Although crude oil import volumes fell 6.3%, unit prices soared 62%, pushing the import value up 51.9%.

Philippine imports surged 25.7% year-on-year to a record USD 15.03 billion in September 2026, following an upwardly revised 20.9% increase in August. This marked the fastest increase since May, largely driven by sharp increases in imports of electronic products (87.4%) and mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (53.3%). Imports of cereals and cereal preparations (22.8%), telecommunication equipment and electrical machinery (14.2%), and plastics in primary and non-primary forms (13.6%) also went up. Meanwhile, imports dropped for transport equipment (-26.2%), industrial machinery and equipment (-0.1%), and other food and live animals (-14.7%). South Korea was the country’s largest source of imports during the month, accounting for 26.1% of total imports, with purchases from the country soaring 264.2%. Imports from China, which represented 22.3% of the total, fell 0.7%. In the first nine months of 2026, the country's imports rose 20.3% from a year earlier to USD 121.11 billion.

Imports to Hong Kong climbed 57.8% year-on-year to HK$808.9 billion in September 2026, following a 60.0% surge in August. This marked the second-strongest growth since 1974, driven mainly by higher inbound shipments of electrical machinery, apparatus, appliances and electrical parts thereof (+64.5%), telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (+81.7%), and office machines and automatic data processing machines (+142.0%). Imports of non-ferrous metals also surged 61.3%, while petroleum and related products increased 69.3%. By supplier, imports recorded the strongest growth from South Korea (+231.1%), Vietnam (+118.7%), Thailand (+55.7%) and Mainland China (+55.6%). Meanwhile, imports from the United Kingdom rose just 1.5%, while those from the US increased 5.9%. From January to September, imports were 45% higher than in the corresponding period a year earlier.

Thailand’s imports surged 50.4% year-on-year to a new high of USD 44.30 billion in September 2026, sharply accelerating from a 25.1% increase in the previous month and topping market forecasts of 31.3%. It was also the fastest growth since June 2021, largely driven by export-oriented manufacturing activity and higher global energy prices. Purchases increased across all major categories: capital goods (92.3%), fuel (45.7%), raw materials and intermediate goods (41.2%), transport equipment (24.4%), other goods (15.3%), and consumer goods (9.9%). By commodity, imports rose for all components, including aircraft, aviation equipment (1,296.2%), computers (317.1%), natural gas (125.2%), machinery and components (82.4%), circuit boards (68.5%), jewelry and gold (63.6%), other metal ores and scrap (46.5%), crude oil (32.6%), chemicals (27.6%), and electrical machinery (11.7%). In the first nine months of the year, total arrivals jumped 37.8% from the same period in 2025 to USD 348.28 billion.

Colombia's imports surged 31.7% year-on-year to $7.7 billion in August 2026, marking the strongest increase since August 2022, following a 22.9% rise in July. Imports of fuels and extractive industry products jumped 190.1% after increasing 77.3% in the previous month, driven by a sharp 262.6% rise in purchases of oil, petroleum products and related goods. Import growth in manufactured goods also accelerated to 18.9% from 16.1%, supported by stronger purchases of machinery and transport equipment (22.8%) and chemical products (22.2%). Meanwhile, imports of agricultural and food products continued to grow, although at a slower pace of 24.8% compared to 27.2% in July.

Japan’s imports grew by 18.9% year-on-year to JPY 11,508.8 billion in September 2026, falling short of market expectations for a 19.6% gain and slowing from an almost four-year high of 28% rise in August. While the latest result marked the softest growth since April, as crude oil arrivals declined due to delayed deliveries to Japan following tanker rerouting, purchases of mineral fuels remained strong in value, rising 39.4% year-on-year, led by a 51.1% jump in crude petroleum amid elevated oil prices driven by Middle East tensions. Imports of machinery also rose 27.0%, followed by electrical machinery (23.4%), manufactured goods (17.1%), and chemicals (7.1%). Meanwhile, transport equipment imports increased by a more modest 2.2%, while foodstuff purchases rose 6.7%. By region, imports rose from China (16.4%), Taiwan (54.9%), South Korea (40.7%), the US (44.8%), ASEAN (16.0%), and Australia (31.1%), while purchases from the EU edged down 0.1% and those from the Middle East fell 7%.

Malaysia’s imports surged 52.7% year-on-year to MYR 181.4 billion in September 2026, accelerating from 41.1% growth in August. The latest reading marked the fastest growth since August 2022 and the thirteenth consecutive month of annual growth. The increase was driven primarily by the manufacturing sector, where purchases climbed 60.3%, led by electronic and electrical products (92.3%), machinery, equipment, and parts (47.4%), and petroleum products (48.5%). Import growth was also recorded in the mining sector (18.5%), with metalliferous ores and metal scrap (119.1%) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) (120.3%) posting strong gains. Imports in the agriculture sector also rose 6.3%. In contrast, imports from other sectors declined 11.1%. By trading partner, imports recorded the strongest increases from China (67.6%), Singapore (90.7%), and Taiwan (55.6%). For the January–September period, total imports reached MYR 1,338.9 billion, up from MYR 1,064.9 billion in the same period last year.

China’s imports rose 31.0% year-on-year to a record $313.66 billion in September 2026, accelerating from a 28.2% gain in the previous month and exceeding market expectations of 24.5%. It was the strongest annual increase since June, supported by seasonal restocking ahead of the major October Golden Week break, strong demand for AI-related hardware, and higher international oil and commodity prices. Iron ore purchases rose 1.2% from August, driven by pre-holiday replenishment. In the first nine months of 2026, imports grew 27.5% yoy to $2.43 trillion. However, analysts cautioned that the import surge does not necessarily signal stronger domestic consumption. Much of the increase reflects purchases of industrial raw materials, minerals, and electronic components used in manufacturing goods for export. This suggests that import growth is being driven largely by robust factory activity and global technology demand, rather than a broad-based recovery in Chinese household spending.

Imports to Taiwan soared 51.7% year-on-year to a record USD 63.59 billion in September 2026, accelerating from a 44.3% gain in the previous month. Imports remained strong for parts of electronic products (82.5%), information, communication and audio-video products (106.5%), mineral products (38.9%), machinery (28.1%), and chemicals (5.0%). Mainland China and Hong Kong remained the largest source of imports, accounting for 21.2% of the total, with imports soaring 59.1%. Imports also increased from ASEAN countries (98.4%), South Korea (82.5%), Japan (38.0%), the US (15.5%), Europe (7.4%), and the Middle East (32.8%). For the first nine months of the year, total imports reached USD 501.0 billion, 41.3% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Indonesia's imports grew 19.09% yoy to USD 23.06 billion in August 2026, falling short of expectations of a 31.7% surge and easing from a 27.02% jump in July, marking the softest increase since March. Oil and gas imports surged 30.73% year-on-year to USD 3.53 billion, boosted by higher imports of oil products (51.83%), while crude oil imports fell 6.25%. Non-oil and gas imports grew 17.20% year-on-year to USD 19.53 billion, mainly supported by higher purchases of machinery and mechanical appliances and parts thereof (7.60%), electrical machinery and equipment and their parts (26.50%), and plastics and plastic products (17.94%). Among trading partners, non-oil and gas imports were primarily sourced from China, with imports jumping 18.16%, followed by the US (8.04%) and Japan (1.69%). By contrast, imports from the EU and ASEAN fell 9.19% and 4.61%, respectively. For the first eight months of the year, imports climbed 19.84% to USD 186.39 billion.

South Korea’s imports surged 26.0% year-on-year to a new record of USD 71.09 billion in September 2026, accelerating from a marginally revised 22.4% increase in the previous month and exceeding market expectations of 21.5%, flash data showed. It marked the 11th consecutive month of growth in purchases, driven by robust domestic industrial demand. Increased manufacturing activity in the semiconductor and AI sectors lifted demand for intermediate goods, while higher global oil and gas prices added to import costs. The import outlook is expected to remain solid through late 2026, as resilient manufacturing activity supports demand for raw materials and industrial inputs.

Philippine imports rose 16.6% year-on-year to a six-month low of USD 13 billion in August 2026, slowing from an upwardly revised 23% in the previous month. It marked the weakest annual growth since February, as imports declined for industrial and machinery equipment (-7.1%), other food and live animals (-24.2%), miscellaneous manufactured articles (-8.4%), and iron and steel (-27.1%). Meanwhile, imports of electronic products surged 61.4%, driven mainly by components/devices (82.4%) and electronic data processing equipment (13.7%). Import growth was also supported by mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (38.6%) and transport equipment (0.6%). China remained the Philippines’ largest source of imports, accounting for 22.7% of the total despite falling 11.1%. Imports from South Korea (212.6%), Japan (21.2%), and Indonesia (4.3%) increased. In the first eight months of the year, the country's total imports reached USD 105.6 billion.

Thailand’s imports rose 25.1% year-on-year to USD 37.10 billion in August 2026, slowing from a 36.7% surge in the previous month and marking the weakest growth since December 2025. The latest result also fell short of market expectations for a 33% increase, suggesting softer domestic demand and investment activity. Still, purchases increased across all major categories: fuel (42.8%), capital goods (33.9%), other goods (27.4%), raw materials and intermediate goods (21.3%), transport equipment (13.6%), and consumer goods (1.3%). By commodity, imports rose for most components, including machinery and components (61.4%), crude oil (58.2%), computers (57.2%), other metal ores and scrap (41.2%), plants (24.6%), jewelry and gold (22.3%), chemicals (19.4%), and circuit boards (17.8%). In contrast, imports fell for iron and steel (-2.2%) and electrical machinery (-1.1%). In the first eight months of 2026, total arrivals surged 36.1% from the same period in 2025 to USD 303.9 billion.

Imports to Hong Kong rose 60% year-on-year to USD 739.1 billion in August 2026, accelerating from a 41% increase in July. The latest figure marked the largest import growth since August 1968, driven largely by increased purchases in electrical machinery, apparatus, appliances, and electrical parts thereof (+64.5%), office machines and automatic data processing machines (+61.4%), and telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment (+50.4%). By source, imports recorded the strongest growth among major suppliers from Korea (+265.8%), the United Kingdom (+111.6%), India (+107.7%), Malaysia (+78.7%), Vietnam (+67.2%) and the Mainland (+54.1%). For the first eight months of 2026, imports grew 43.2% compared to the same period a year earlier.

Colombia's imports increased 22.9% year-on-year to $7.97 billion in July 2026 following a 27% rise in June. Manufacturing imports rose 16.1%, driven by higher purchases of machinery and transport equipment (24%) and chemicals and related products (11%). Agriculture, food and beverages purchases grew 26.3%, mainly due to higher imports of food products and live animals (27.2%). Imports of fuels and extractive industry products surged 77.3%, driven by higher purchases of petroleum, petroleum products and related products (79.6%).

Malaysia’s imports surged 41.1% year-on-year to MYR 163 billion in August 2026, surpassing market expectations of 33.3% and accelerating from 36.4% in July. The latest reading marked the twelfth consecutive month of annual growth, underscoring resilient domestic demand. Import growth was driven primarily by the manufacturing sector, where purchases rose 43.2%, led by the manufacture of electrical and electronic products (89.3%), machinery, equipment and parts (22%), and petroleum products (26.6%). Imports for the mining sector also climbed sharply (60.1%), supported by a strong increase in crude petroleum purchases (87%). In contrast, imports declined for agriculture (-2.9%) and other sectors (-5.9%). By trading partner, imports recorded the strongest increases from China (61.3%), followed by Taiwan (68.9%), Singapore (59.1%), and the US (3.2%). For the January-August period, total imports reached MYR 1,157.6 billion, from MYR 946.1 billion in the corresponding period a year earlier.

Japan's imports surged 28% year-on-year to JPY 11,153.9 billion in August 2026, following a marginally revised 27.9% rise in July, beating market estimates of 26.3% and posting the strongest growth since November 2022. The sharp rise reflected solid domestic demand, amid the government's late-2025 stimulus, as well as higher crude oil prices. Imports rose from China (22.5%), Hong Kong (31.5%), Taiwan (62.4%), South Korea (31.4%), the U.S. (55.2%), ASEAN (26.9%), and the EU (20.4%), while purchases fell from the Middle East (-4.2%). By category, imports increased across all major components, led by electrical machinery (40.8%) amid strong semiconductor demand, followed by other goods (19.1%), machinery (35.1%), chemicals (28.7%), manufactured goods (31.8%), and transport equipment (3.8%). Crude oil imports jumped 58.7% as Japan diversified energy buying away from the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing tensions.

Imports to Taiwan soared 44.3% year-on-year to USD 60.1 billion in August 2026, accelerating from a 37.4% gain in the previous month. Imports remained strong for parts of electronic products (62.6%), information, communication and audio-video products (108.6%), mineral products (38.4%), machinery (12.3%), and chemicals (16.8%). Mainland China and Hong Kong remained the largest source of imports, accounting for 21.1% of the total, with imports soaring 60.2%. Imports also increased from ASEAN countries (77.6%), South Korea (47.7%), Japan (24.4%), the US (35.9%), Europe (14.3%), and the Middle East (7.6%). For the first eight months of the year, total imports reached USD 437.4 billion, 40.4% higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

China’s imports rose 28.2% year-on-year to $282.36 billion in August 2026, slightly below the 30% forecast but accelerating from July’s 27.6% increase, as strong commodity demand and the global AI infrastructure buildout boosted trade across Asia. Crude oil imports rose 6.2% from July to 37.9 million tons, while natural gas imports dipped as war-driven price increases weighed on seaborne shipments. Coal imports remained elevated as the Shanxi mine disaster continued to constrain domestic production. Iron ore imports rose 3.1% year-on-year, while copper concentrate and refined metal purchases fell around 10% amid tight global markets. Soybean imports slipped 1.1% as tariffs and strained US-China ties limited demand for US cargoes. Imports from major Asian trading partners surged, rising 108.1% from South Korea, 41.5% from Taiwan, 20.0% from Japan and 35.0% from ASEAN economies. Purchases from Australia and the US rose 44.6% and 17.8%, respectively. Imports from the EU edged up 0.7%.