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Visualizing the World’s Largest Importers in 2017

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Visualizing the World's Largest Importers in 2017

Visualizing the World’s Largest Importers in 2017

For most world leaders and corporate executives, the swing of the global pendulum to more protectionist policies has been an unpleasant surprise.

That’s because the consensus view from both economists and economic historians has been that measures like the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which triggered a trade war during the Great Depression, greatly exacerbated circumstances that were already quite dire.

It’s common for tariff increases to be countered by retaliatory measures, and this can often translate to lower levels of international trade and decreased economic growth across the board. During the period of 1929 to 1934, according to the U.S. State Department, world trade decreased by 66% – largely a result of subsequent trade wars after the passing of Smoot-Hawley.

For the above reasons, international barriers to trade have been falling for decades – until now, of course.

Largest Importers

Which countries can throw their weight around the most with tariffs and retaliatory measures?

It’s those that import the most goods – and today’s infographic from HowMuch.net shows the world’s largest importers in 2017, according to recently released data from the World Trade Organization.

Here are the top 15 largest importers, globally:

RankCountryImports ($B)% of Global Imports
#1USA$2,409 billion13.4%
#2China$1,842 billion10.2%
#3Germany$1,167 billion6.5%
#4Japan$672 billion3.7%
#5United Kingdom$644 billion3.6%
#6France$625 billion3.5%
#7Hong Kong (China)$590 billion3.3%
#8Netherlands$574 billion3.2%
#9South Korea$478 billion2.7%
#10Italy$453 billion2.5%
#11India$447 billion2.5%
#12Canada$442 billion2.5%
#13Mexico$432 billion2.4%
#14Belgium$403 billion2.2%
#15Spain$351 billion1.9%

The United States takes home the number one spot with $2,409 billion of imports in 2017, about 13.4% of the global total. It’s worth mentioning that this is $860 billion higher than the country’s exports in 2017, and that the difference between the two numbers is the hotly-debated trade deficit.

China and Germany come in the #2 and #3 spots respectively, with $1,842 billion (10.2% of global total) of imports for China and $1,167 billion (6.5% of total) for Europe’s largest economy.

After the big three, no other country has a number exceeding 5% of global imports, but Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Hong Kong (China), and the Netherlands all surpass the 3% mark.

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Ranked: The Cities with the Most Skyscrapers in 2023

We rank the world’s leading cities with the most skyscrapers, highlighting China’s remarkable dominance in building vertically.

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Ranked: The Cities with the Most Skyscrapers in 2023

When it comes to soaring skylines and architectural marvels, no country has embraced the vertical revolution quite like China.

In this graphic, which uses data from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), we reveal the 25 cities with the most skyscrapers and supertall buildings globally.

Unsurprisingly, China’s cities dominate the list, solidifying the country’s reputation as a global powerhouse of tall buildings.

The 25 Top Cities by Skyscraper Count

Topping the charts is Hong Kong, with an impressive 657 skyscrapers, including six supertalls (buildings over 300 meters tall).

RankCityCountrySkyscrapers (>150m)Supertalls (>300m)
1Hong Kong๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China6576
2Shenzhen๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China51316
3New York City๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States42116
4Dubai๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ช United Arab Emirates39528
5Guangzhou๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China25411
6Shanghai๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China2505
7Kuala Lumpur๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡พ Malaysia2115
8Chongqing๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China2055
9Tokyo๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan2000
10Wuhan๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China1835
11Chicago๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States1787
12Jakarta๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ Indonesia1601
13Chengdu๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China1500
14Bangkok๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ Thailand1333
15Shenyang๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China1293
16Singapore๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ Singapore1280
17Nanning๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China1226
18Mumbai๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ India1140
19Tianjin๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China1093
20Nanjing๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China1087
21Toronto๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada1060
22Busan๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea1064
23Seoul๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea1042
24Changsha๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China975
25Melbourne๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia941

Hong Kong, along with Shenzhen (#2), and Guangzhou (#5) are part of the burgeoning megacity known as the Pearl River Delta, which is home to over 1,500 skyscrapers. This is even more impressive when considering that Shenzhen was a small fishing village until the 1970s.

New York City secures the third position on the list, boasting an impressive tally of 421 skyscrapers. Although it may have relinquished its title to Chinese cities, the city’s skyline endures as a globally renowned symbol, prominently featuring the iconic Empire State Building. Notably, while the Empire State Building enjoys widespread familiarity, it no longer ranks among the world’s 50 tallest structures.

Rounding out the top five is Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which grabs the fourth position with 395 skyscrapers, a staggering 28 of which are supertalls. This desert oasis has become synonymous with grandiose architecture and record-breaking structures, exemplified by the Burj Khalifa, which is the world’s current tallest building at 828 meters (2,715 ft).

China’s Numbers in Context

Looking at this data from another perspective, China actually has more skyscrapers on this list than the rest of the world combined.

CountryCities in Top 25SkyscrapersSupertalls
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China12277772
๐ŸŒ Rest of World13235067

China’s rapid urbanization, economic growth, and ambitious construction projects have fueled this impressive feat. There’s no doubt that the country’s relentless pursuit of vertical development, coupled with its booming population and thriving cities, has positioned China as the unrivaled leader in the global skyscraper race.

The Future of the Global Skyline

As the world continues to reach new heights in architectural marvels, there are even more supertall skyscrapers in the pipeline that will reshape skylines across the globe.

From the soaring Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, poised to surpass the Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest building, to the remarkable Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, which is set to claim the title of the world’s second-tallest structure when it opens in June 2023, these projects will captivate city dwellers for years to come.

Even as these new monumental buildings rise, China’s prominence in the world of skyscrapersโ€”with three cities in the top five globallyโ€”is likely to remain unchallenged.

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