Uruguai: Visió econòmica i política
Uruguay has an open economy, with foreign trade representing 52% of its GDP, according to the World Bank's latest available data. Uruguay enjoys special preferential access to trade with several countries under ALADI’s Economic Complementation Agreements. In 2023, the ranking of exported products was led by beef, constituting 18% of the total exports. Cellulose held the second position with a comparable share, followed by dairy products, beverage concentrates, rice, meat by-products, wood, soybeans, and vehicles. The largest import category in 2023 was industrial supplies, accounting for 28% of the total, followed by vehicles and their parts (17%), and food and beverage (14% - data Uruguay XXI).
The main destination for Uruguay's exports in 2023 was China, accounting for 22% of the total, closely followed by Brazil with 19%. The European Union ranked third with 16%, while the United States and Argentina represented 8% and 5%, respectively. On the other hand, Brazil was the top source of Uruguay's imports, accounting for 24% of the total, with a value of USD 2.557 billion. China followed as the second-largest source, representing 22% of imports. The European Union ranked third, with imports worth USD 1.580 billion, a 4% increase. Argentina was the fourth-largest source, contributing 6% of total imports (data Uruguay XXI).
As Uruguay mainly exports agricultural products, they are highly vulnerable to international price fluctuations. In 2023, exports of goods stood at USD 9.19 billion against USD 12.48 billion in imports (-17.8% and -3.7%, respectively); whereas services exports (at USD 6.39 billion) were higher than imports (USD 6.02 billion – data WTO). According to preliminary government figures, Uruguay's goods exports reached USD 12.84 billion in 2024. The top exports included cellulose, beef, soybeans, dairy products, and beverage concentrate. Excluding petroleum, derivatives, and energy, goods imports totalled USD 10.87 billion in 2024.
| Foreign Trade Values | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Imports of Goods (million USD) | 7,564 | 10,320 | 12,973 | 12,486 | 12,523 |
| Exports of Goods (million USD) | 6,864 | 9,535 | 11,184 | 9,220 | 10,215 |
| Imports of Services (million USD) | 3,648 | 4,193 | 6,194 | 6,365 | 6,161 |
| Exports of Services (million USD) | 3,856 | 3,986 | 5,851 | 6,823 | 6,889 |
Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data
| Foreign Trade Indicators | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) | 47.7 | 58.3 | 61.0 | 52.9 | 52.5 |
| Trade Balance (million USD) | 2,257 | 4,730 | 4,236 | 2,215 | 3,469 |
| Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) | 2,477 | 4,543 | 3,921 | 2,687 | 4,212 |
| Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | -11.2 | 18.4 | 14.3 | 5.7 | -1.5 |
| Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) | -14.3 | 14.7 | 11.3 | 0.8 | 8.3 |
| Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 21.5 | 25.4 | 27.7 | 24.8 | 23.7 |
| Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) | 26.2 | 32.9 | 33.3 | 28.1 | 28.8 |
Source: World Bank ; Latest available data
| Foreign Trade Forecasts | 2025 | 2026 (e) | 2027 (e) | 2028 (e) | 2029 (e) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.0 |
| Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) | 3.7 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data
Note: (e) Estimated Data
| Main Customers (% of Exports) |
2023 |
| Brazil | 20.5% |
| China | 16.8% |
| United States | 8.1% |
| Argentina | 5.0% |
| Türkiye | 2.8% |
| See More Countries | 46.7% |
| Main Suppliers (% of Imports) |
2023 |
| Brazil | 21.9% |
| China | 19.1% |
| Argentina | 12.0% |
| United States | 8.8% |
| Nigeria | 4.3% |
| See More Countries | 33.9% |
Source: Comtrade, 2025. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
Source: Comtrade, 2025. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.
| 8.1 bn USD of services exported in 2022 | |
| 49.71% | |
| Merchanting and other trade-related...Merchanting and other trade-related services | 34.60% |
| Miscellaneous business,...Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services | 15.11% |
| 21.53% | |
| Personal travelPersonal travel | 20.40% |
| OtherOther | 20.23% |
| Education-related expenditureEducation-related expenditure | 0.12% |
| Health-related expenditureHealth-related expenditure | 0.05% |
| Business travelBusiness travel | 1.13% |
| OtherOther | 1.13% |
| 12.04% | |
| 7.90% | |
| Sea transportSea transport | 2.23% |
| FreightFreight | 1.32% |
| OtherOther | 0.90% |
| Air transportAir transport | 1.04% |
| OtherOther | 1.04% |
| 3.48% | |
| 2.63% | |
| Telecommunications servicesTelecommunications services | 2.62% |
| Postal and courier servicesPostal and courier services | 0.02% |
| 1.01% | |
| Audiovisual and related servicesAudiovisual and related services | 0.64% |
| Other personal, cultural, and...Other personal, cultural, and recreational services | 0.37% |
| 0.78% | |
| 0.64% | |
| 0.28% | |
| ReinsuranceReinsurance | 0.27% |
| 5.0 bn USD of services imported in 2022 | |
| 31.65% | |
| Sea transportSea transport | 18.54% |
| FreightFreight | 18.54% |
| Air transportAir transport | 6.28% |
| PassengerPassenger | 4.53% |
| FreightFreight | 1.74% |
| 27.48% | |
| Miscellaneous business,...Miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services | 27.48% |
| 19.82% | |
| Personal travelPersonal travel | 18.98% |
| OtherOther | 18.66% |
| Education-related expenditureEducation-related expenditure | 0.21% |
| Health-related expenditureHealth-related expenditure | 0.11% |
| Business travelBusiness travel | 0.84% |
| OtherOther | 0.84% |
| 7.28% | |
| 3.67% | |
| 2.65% | |
| ReinsuranceReinsurance | 1.78% |
| 2.27% | |
| Telecommunications servicesTelecommunications services | 2.26% |
| 2.20% | |
| Audiovisual and related servicesAudiovisual and related services | 2.05% |
| Other personal, cultural, and...Other personal, cultural, and recreational services | 0.15% |
| 2.05% | |
| 0.89% | |
| 0.03% | |
| Construction in the compiling...Construction in the compiling economy | 0.03% |
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2025. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.
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Actualitzacions: November 2025