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Which G20 Countries Rely Most on the U.S. for Exports?

Ranked: Which G20 Countries Rely Most on the U.S. for Exports?

Key Takeaways

  • The U.S. absorbs 18% of the average G20 economy’s exports.
  • Canada and Mexico each ship roughly three-quarters of their goods exports to the U.S.
  • Just 0.9% of Russia’s exports go to the U.S., the lowest share among G20 countries.

Access to the United States, the world’s largest economy, remains crucial for countries around the world. However, America’s closest neighbors rely far more heavily on the U.S. market than other major global economies.

This visualization ranks Group of 20 (G20) countries by the share of their goods exports sent to the U.S., using the latest available data (2025) from UN Comtrade and the Observatory for Economic Complexity.

Only goods trade is included. The African Union and European Union are excluded despite being G20 members.

Why Canada and Mexico Rank So High

Canada and Mexico are particularly exposed to shifts in U.S. trade policy because of their deeply integrated trade relationships with the United States.

The U.S. absorbs 72.3% of Canadian exports and 81.9% of Mexican exports, compared with just 18.1% for the average G20 economy. This makes both countries particularly vulnerable to changes in U.S. trade policy.

The table below lists G20 economies alongside the U.S. share of their exports in 2025.

Rank Country Share of Exports Going to U.S.
1 🇲🇽 Mexico 81.9%
2 🇨🇦 Canada 72.3%
3 🇯🇵 Japan 18.6%
4 🇮🇳 India 18.3%
5 🇰🇷 South Korea 17.4%
6 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 15.9%
7 🇨🇳 China 14.7%
8 🇮🇩 Indonesia 11.0%
9 🇧🇷 Brazil 10.9%
10 🇮🇹 Italy 10.8%
11 🇦🇷 Argentina 9.6%
12 🇩🇪 Germany 9.4%
13 🇫🇷 France 8.6%
14 🇦🇺 Australia 7.4%
15 🇿🇦 South Africa 7.1%
16 🇹🇷 Turkiye 6.0%
17 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 4.3%
18 🇷🇺 Russia 0.9%

Decades of economic integration have helped produce this concentration. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which entered into force in 1994, reduced trade barriers between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It was replaced by the USMCA in 2020.

More recently, the second Trump administration has imposed tariffs on both U.S. neighbors. Talks between Ottawa and Washington have broken down, leading to the imposition of retaliatory tariffs.

Meanwhile, Mexico, the most exposed G20 country, continues negotiations with the U.S. in an effort to avoid further tariffs on its agricultural and automotive sectors.

Outside North America, no G20 country sends a comparable share of its exports to the United States. However, traditional U.S. allies including Japan (18.6%), South Korea (17.4%), and the United Kingdom (15.9%) still send substantial portions of their goods exports to the U.S.

European Union member states tend to have lower exposure to the U.S. market because of extensive trade within the bloc. Germany, the EU’s largest economy, sends 9.4% of its exports to the U.S., behind Italy (10.8%) but ahead of France (8.6%).

In Latin America, Argentina (9.6%) and Brazil (10.9%) send much smaller shares of their exports to the U.S. than Mexico does. China, the world’s largest exporter, sends less than 15% of its exports to the U.S.

China lost its position as the top exporter of goods to the United States in 2023, marking the first time in 17 years (since 2006) that it was not the leading source of U.S. imports.
The U.S. absorbs 18% of the average G20 economy’s exports.
Canada and Mexico each ship roughly three-quarters of their goods exports to the U.S.
Just 0.9% of Russia’s exports go to the U.S., the lowest share among G20 countries.
In 2023, Mexico surpassed China to become the top exporter to the U.S.
Major Factors Driving the Shift
  1. Trade Tensions & Tariffs: Ongoing tariffs first instituted in 2018–2019 under the Trump administration and maintained by the Biden administration significantly raised the cost of importing Chinese goods.
  2. Nearshoring & Supply Chain Diversification: American companies increasingly shifted manufacturing and sourcing closer to home (nearshoring) or to neighboring allies (friendshoring) to mitigate geopolitical risks and supply chain bottlenecks experienced during the pandemic.
  3. Rise of USMCA Integration: The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) catalyzed trade within North America, particularly across the automotive, machinery, and electronics sectors.
  4. Indirect Re-routing: While direct imports from China to the U.S. dropped substantially (falling over 20% in 2023 alone), Chinese firms simultaneously expanded intermediate goods exports and foreign direct investment into countries like Mexico and Vietnam.