The ninth-most populated among the 27 European Union members, the Hellenic Republic imported US$55.5 billion worth of products from around the globe during 2020. That dollar amount reflects a -10.7% reduction from Greece’s $62.2 billion in import spending during 2019.

This article presents a quick reference snapshot of Greece’s main imported products in 2020, categorized by dollar amount and major trading partners.

Strategically situated in Southeastern Europe at the confluence of Europe, Asia and Africa, Greece has common land borders with Turkey to its northeast, Bulgaria and North Macedonia to its north, and Albania to its northwest.

Data presented in this article is organized by overall metrics then drill down to the most valuable Greek imports during 2020 for each of Greece’s top 10 supplier countries. Those leading trading partners accounted for nearly three-fifths (58.5%) of total Greek import purchases.

Product categories shown summarize calculations at the two-digit Harmonized System code level. Two-digit codes enable higher-level insights and trends for Greek imports and each of the top supplier countries.

Greece’s Main Imports from Germany

In 2020, Germany’s exports to Greece amounted to $6.6 billion or 11.9% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a flatlining 0.2% gain compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 81.1% of Greece’s imports from Germany.

Pharmaceuticals: $1 billion
Organic chemicals: $881.7 million
Vehicles: $816.5 million
Machinery: $645.3 million
Electronic equipment: $467.8 million
Plastics: $285.2 million
Dairy, eggs, honey: $276.1 million
Medical, technical equipment: $261 million
Meat: $149.2 million
Other chemical goods: $147.4 million
Paper: $115.3 million
Perfumes, cosmetics: $81.1 million
Tanning, dyeing extracts: $74.5 million
Cereal, milk preparations: $70.3 million
Iron and steel: $65.9 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Greek imports from Germany under the organic chemicals product category via a 41.5% gain in revenue and pharmaceuticals (up 8.5%).

Posting the severest declines among Greece’s top 15 imported products were iron and steel as materials (down -41.2%), meat (down -16.9%), tanning or dyeing extracts (down -12.4%) and electronic equipment (down -10.8%).

Greece’s Main Imports from Italy

In 2020, Italy’s exports to Greece amounted to $4.6 billion or 8.3% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a -5.8% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 65.4% of Greece’s imports from Italy.

Machinery: $638.9 million
Pharmaceuticals: $358.5 million
Plastics: $324.4 million
Electronic equipment: $265.9 million
Vehicles: $242.9 million
Mineral fuels including oil: $163.2 million
Paper: $163.2 million
Clothing (not knit or crochet): $136.7 million
Iron and steel: $129.9 million
Medical, technical equipment: $109.6 million
Knit or crochet clothing: $105.6 million
Other chemical goods: $95.3 million
Furniture, lighting, signs: $95 million
Iron or steel products: $92.9 million
Meat: $88.7 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Greek imports from Italy under the miscellaneous chemical goods product category via a 6.9% gain in revenue and plastics as a material (up 6.5%).

Posting the severest declines among Greece’s top 15 imported products were mineral fuels including oil (down -39.7%), meat (down -19.4%), vehicles: (down -17.3%), knitted or crocheted clothing (down -16.6%), unknitted and non-crocheted clothing (down -14.1%) then furniture, lighting and signs (down -12.8%).

Greece’s Main Imports from China

In 2020, China’s exports to Greece amounted to $4.3 billion or 7.7% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a -6% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 82.7% of Greece’s imports from the mainland China.

Machinery: $1 billion
Electronic equipment: $792.7 million
Furniture, lighting, signs: $189.9 million
Knit or crochet clothing: $180.4 million
Footwear: $171.3 million
Plastics: $167.8 million
Toys, games: $167.7 million
Other textiles, worn clothing: $162.2 million
Clothing (not knit or crochet): $153.8 million
Medical, technical equipment: $117.5 million
Leather, animal gut articles: $107.4 million
Iron or steel products: $88 million
Vehicles: $64.9 million
Organic chemicals: $64.1 million
Aluminum: $63.9 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Greek imports from China under the miscellaneous textiles including worn clothing product category via a 187.1% gain in revenue, electronic equipment (up 44.2%), medical or technical equipment (up 32.3%), organic chemicals (up 16.8%) and plastics as a material (up 13%).

Posting the severest declines among Greece’s top 15 imported products were aluminum (down -67.5%), knitted or crocheted clothing (down -50.7%), unknitted and non-crocheted clothing (down -46.6%), footwear (down -29.3%), toys and games (down -17.6%) then furniture, lighting and signs (down -13.4%).

Greece’s Main Imports from Netherlands

In 2020, the Netherlands’ exports to Greece amounted to $3.4 billion or 6.1% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a 13.2% gain compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 77.1% of Greece’s imports from the Netherlands.

Electronic equipment: $436.8 million
Machinery: $406.5 million
Pharmaceuticals: $390 million
Meat: $320.8 million
Mineral fuels including oil: $253.4 million
Dairy, eggs, honey: $190.1 million
Medical, technical equipment: $151.8 million
Plastics: $93.7 million
Other chemical goods: $61.2 million
Vehicles: $60.5 million
Organic chemicals: $59.5 million
Iron and steel: $58 million
Beverages: $52.1 million
Cereal, milk preparations: $46.7 million
Cocoa, cocoa preparations: $39.8 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Greek imports from the Netherlands under the mineral fuels including oil product category via a 1,089% gain in revenue, beverages (up 61.8%), miscellaneous chemical goods (up 39.8%), organic chemicals (up 38.1%), iron and steel as materials (up 37.1%) and machinery (up 26.7%).

Posting the severest declines among Greece’s top 15 imported products were meat (down -13.1%) then dairy, eggs and honey (down -4.8%).

Greece’s Main Imports from Russia

In 2020, Russia’s exports to Greece amounted to $3.3 billion or 6.1% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a -27% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 99.4% of Greece’s imports from Russia.

Mineral fuels including oil: $2.8 billion
Aluminum: $260.5 million
Copper: $97.3 million
Cereals: $38.4 million
Iron and steel: $19.2 million
Fertilizers: $16.5 million
Wood: $14.5 million
Paper: $12.5 million
Organic chemicals: $10.6 million
Inorganic chemicals: $7.6 million
Rubber: $7.4 million
Food waste, animal fodder: $7.3 million
Plastics: $3.8 million
Vegetable products: $3.4 million
Oil seed: $2.7 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Greek imports from Russia under the plastics as a material product category via a 190.4% gain in revenue, aluminum (up 30%), rubber (up 22.5%), food waste or animal fodder (up 18.9%) and paper (up 10.4%).

Posting the severest declines among Greece’s top 15 imported products were iron and steel as materials (down -62.1%), organic chemicals (down -44.4%), vegetable products (down -41%), mineral fuels including oil (down -30.1%), inorganic chemicals (down -28.1%) and oil seed (down -19.3%).

Greece’s Main Imports from France

In 2020, France’s exports to Greece amounted to $2.4 billion or 4.2% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a -8.9% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 69.4% of Greece’s imports from France.

Pharmaceuticals: $308.3 million
Meat: $228.2 million
Vehicles: $153.8 million
Perfumes, cosmetics: $128.8 million
Other chemical goods: $114.1 million
Iron and steel: $113.4 million
Electronic equipment: $104.8 million
Machinery: $102.7 million
Plastics: $79.7 million
Ships, boats: $69.4 million
Knit or crochet clothing: $57.2 million
Medical, technical equipment: $49 million
Cereal, milk preparations: $44.6 million
Clothing (not knit or crochet): $42.2 million
Dairy, eggs, honey: $39.9 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Greek imports from France under the iron and steel as materials product category via a 16.5% gain in revenue and cereal or milk preparations (up 8.5%).

Posting the severest declines among Greece’s top 15 imported products were vehicles (down -20.2%), perfumes and cosmetics (down -17.3%), unknitted and crocheted clothing (down -13.2%), meat (down -11.2%) and electronic equipment (down -9.9%).

Greece’s Main Imports from Iraq

In 2020, Iraq’s exports to Greece amounted to $2.3 billion or 4.1% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a -55.2% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the product categories listed below represent 100% of Greece’s imports from Iraq.

Mineral fuels including oil: $2.3 billion
Electronic equipment: $6,000
Medical, technical equipment: $4,000

The cost of Greek imports from Iraq under the mineral fuels including oil product category decreased by -55.2% from 2019 to 2020.

Greece’s Main Imports from Ireland

In 2020, Ireland’s exports to Greece amounted to $2 billion or 3.6% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a 106.5% gain compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 99.6% of Greece’s imports from Ireland.

Organic chemicals: $1.6 billion
Pharmaceuticals: $143.4 million
Perfumes, cosmetics: $94.9 million
Other chemical goods: $22.4 million
Machinery: $21.9 million
Dairy, eggs, honey: $17 million
Electronic equipment: $12.1 million
Beverages: $11.4 million
Medical, technical equipment: $9.8 million
Food waste, animal fodder: $4 million
Meat: $3.8 million
Live animals: $1.7 million
Other food preparations: $1.6 million
Plastics: $1.3 million
Toys, games: $958,000

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Greek imports from Ireland under the organic chemicals product category via a 143.8% gain in revenue, beverages (up 84.5%), machinery (up 82.2%), electronic equipment (up 79.6%), miscellaneous chemical goods (up 75.6%) and pharmaceuticals (up 54%).

Posting the severest declines among Greece’s top 15 imported products were miscellaneous food preparations (down -47.5%), food waste or animal fodder (down -38.3%), meat (down -27.2%), perfumes and cosmetics (down -13.9%) then toys and games (down -9.3%).

Greece’s Main Imports from Spain

In 2020, Spain’s exports to Greece amounted to $1.8 billion or 3.3% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a -15.8% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 71.8% of Greece’s imports from Spain.

Vehicles: $173.8 million
Meat: $124.3 million
Clothing (not knit or crochet): $121.4 million
Pharmaceuticals: $119.4 million
Plastics: $101.4 million
Knit or crochet clothing: $93 million
Mineral fuels including oil: $88.8 million
Machinery: $85 million
Electronic equipment: $82.6 million
Organic chemicals: $70.1 million
Copper: $68.7 million
Other chemical goods: $59 million
Food waste, animal fodder: $45 million
Other food preparations: $41.5 million
Ceramic products: $40 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Greek imports from Spain under the food waste or animal fodder product category via a 50.6% gain in revenue, electronic equipment (up 30.5%), pharmaceuticals (up 24.1%) and miscellaneous chemical goods (up 18.7%).

Posting the severest declines among Greece’s top 15 imported products were mineral fuels including oil (down -47.7%), unknitted and non-crocheted clothing (down -40.9%), knitted or crocheted clothing (down -34.7%), organic chemicals (down -23.7%), copper (down -11.7%) and miscellaneous food preparations (down -10.8%).

Greece’s Main Imports from Belgium

In 2020, Belgium’s exports to Greece amounted to $1.8 billion or 3.3% of overall Greek imports.

That dollar amount represents a -2.9% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 78.1% of Greece’s imports from Belgium.

Pharmaceuticals: $461 million
Machinery: $166.2 million
Plastics: $156 million
Medical, technical equipment: $106.4 million
Vehicles: $91.3 million
Footwear: $83.3 million
Other chemical goods: $59.7 million
Knit or crochet clothing: $54.8 million
Rubber: $44.4 million
Organic chemicals: $43 million
Electronic equipment: $38 million
Vegetable/fruit preparations: $30.5 million
Mineral fuels including oil: $28.6 million
Clothing (not knit or crochet): $27.8 million
Meat: $26.6 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Greek imports from Belgium under the pharmaceuticals product category via a 33.8% gain in revenue and miscellaneous chemical goods (up 20%).

Posting the severest declines among Greece’s top 15 imported products were vehicles (down -42.5%), mineral fuels including oil (down -41.7%), organic chemicals (down -38.5%), footwear (down -25.1%), vegetable or fruit preparations (down -24.4%) and unknitted and non-crocheted clothing (down -17.1%).

References

Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational sources.

International Trade Centre, Trade Map.

Wikipedia, Greece, Borders of Greece

World’s Top Exports, Import News.

Greece’s Main Imports by Top Supplier Countries