India is one of the United States’ most prolific global trading partners. The country is famous for its textile industry, supplying fabric to many of the world’s top clothing brands.  India has changed over time, as well as the kinds of products the U.S. imports from India.

India has consistently ranked among the five largest contributors to U.S. imports since at least 2015. This year, India has the third-largest share of total U.S. maritime imports, accounting for roughly 5% of all shipments of goods to U.S. ports. Its share of U.S. imports has grown over 28% since 2015, despite undergoing major setbacks in 2020.

Products Imported by the USA from India in 2020

India is also a leading contributor to U.S.imports of footwear, mineral products, and raw hides and furs. Together, these categories constitute less than 5% of India’s overall trade portfolio with the U.S.—a testament to the sheer volume of America’s imports from India. 

Though the U.S. imports many different kinds of goods from India, the top product category by a large margin is textiles. The U.S. sources roughly double the number of textiles as it does machinery products, the next-largest category of imported goods from India. 

Products Imported in the USA

Most Imported Products in the USA

•          Minerals, fuels, and oil – $241.4 billion.

•          Pharmaceuticals – $116.3 billion.

•          Medical equipment and supplies – $93.4 billion.

•         Furniture, Lighting, and Signs – $72.1 billion.

•          Plastics – $61.9 billion.

•         Gems and precious metals – $60.8 billion.
  

   Where Does the U.S. Get Most of its Imports?

T   The United States’ greatest trading partners are also those who provide most of the country’s imports. Based solely on the strength of goods (not services), the most powerful nation in the world receives the most imports from:
·         China (18.2%),
·          Mexico (14.4%),
·          Canada (12.7%).
·         Japan
·          Germany
·          South Korea
·         Vietnam
·         the United Kingdom

What Foods Does the U.S. Import?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, almost two-thirds of all agricultural imports include horticultural and tropical products like fruits, vegetables, nuts, wine, flowers, and hops. Other food products like sugar, coffee, cocoa, and rubber provide about 18% of all agricultural products brought into the United States each year.
Canada, Mexico, the European Union, Chile, and Brazil are the largest importers of American-made food products, including horticultural goods, sugar, and tropical products unique to the North American climate. Nearly $14 billion in food goods go to these countries each year.

According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the fifteen largest trading partners of India represent 59.37% of total trade by India in the financial year 1951–1952.^[1] These figures include trade in goods and commodities, but do not include services or foreign direct investment.
The two largest goods traded by India are mineral fuels (refined/unrefined) and gold (finished gold ware/gold metal). In the year 2013–14, mineral fuels (HS code 27) were the largest traded item with 181.383 billion US$ worth of imports and 64.685 billion US$ worth of re-exports after refining. In the year 2013–14, gold and its finished items (HS code 71) were the second largest traded items with 58.465 billion US$ worth of imports and 41.692 billion US$ worth of re-exports after value addition. These two goods are constituting 53% of total imports, 34% of total exports, and nearly 100% of the total trade deficit (136 billion US$) of India in the financial year 2013–14.^] The services trade (exports and imports) is not part of the commodities trade. The trade surplus in services trade is US$70 billion in the year 2017–18.

Diamonds are the Highest Imports of the USA from India In 2021

USA import data 2021 shows the top imports for diamonds and related products under Heading 7102. While import data of USA 2021 shows the high imports for diamonds, USA import data 2020 shows the highest imports in the country for pharmaceuticals. This was due to the still ongoing pandemic because of the Coronavirus. The United States of America had an impactful experience going through the waves of the pandemic, driven by the virus of COVID-19. It was impacted by the virus the most among major countries such as India, France, and Italy. Imports of pharmaceuticals in the USA are understandably higher than in any other country and for any other commodity.