🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates imports of specialist vessels: 2024 trade data
In 2024, the United Arab Emirates imported specialist vessels worth $1.63 billion (154.3 thousand tonnes). It ranks 4th of 164 countries for imports of this product. That is 23% less than in 2023. Across 2017-2024 the long-run trend was broadly stable. The peak in this period was 2023, at $2.11 billion.
Public statistics, latest reported year 2024. Values in US dollars.
Imports of specialist vessels by year, 2017-2024
Hover or tap a year for detail.
Year by year
| Year | Value | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1.63B | 154.3K t |
| 2023 | $2.11B | 147.0K t |
| 2022 | $1.04B | 187.3K t |
| 2021 | $1.38B | 100.0K t |
| 2020 | $897.3M | 55.8K t |
| 2019 | $936.8M | 53.6K t |
| 2018 | $1.42B | 65.0K t |
| 2017 | $1.24B | 1.3K t |
Where the United Arab Emirates imports specialist vessels from
The largest suppliers were Saudi Arabia (49%), China (38%), India (12%). Among the main suppliers, China grew fastest (+171% on the year before).
| Supplier country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $790.4M | 49% |
| 🇨🇳 China | $623.1M | 38% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $199.0M | 12% |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | $5.2M | 0.3% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $4.0M | 0.3% |
| 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | $2.0M | 0.1% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $986K | 0.1% |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | $668K | 0% |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $275K | 0% |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $207K | 0% |
Types of specialist vessels under HS 8905
| 8905.20 | Floating or submersible drilling or production platforms | 47% |
| 8905.90 | Vessels: light, fire-floats, floating cranes and other vessels, the navigability of which is subsidiary to their main function, floating docks | 43% |
| 8905.10 | Dredgers | 9.9% |
Codes and full descriptions: HS heading 8905.
Average import price of specialist vessels
The average declared value was about $10.54 per kg, 53% above the world average of $6.89. This usually points to higher-grade or processed goods.
Declared value divided by weight, all 2024 shipments. Prices per shipment and per company are in EximDataX.
The United Arab Emirates also exports specialist vessels
Exports of specialist vessels by the United Arab Emirates reached $277.7 million in 2024 (327.3 thousand tonnes). Its share of world exports was 1%. Brazil alone took 70% of it.
| Destination | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | $193.1M | 70% |
| 🇮🇳 India | $47.9M | 17% |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | $18.9M | 6.8% |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | $9.5M | 3.4% |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | $7.9M | 2.9% |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $184K | 0.1% |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $122K | 0% |
| 🇦🇴 Angola | $12K | 0% |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambique | $0K | 0% |
| 🇸🇨 Seychelles | $0K | 0% |
Who is behind these numbers in the United Arab Emirates?
Public statistics stop at country totals and the last published year. EximDataX shows the shipment records underneath: the companies, dates, quantities and declared values, updated weekly.
Shipment records are in the platform
Tell us what you trade and we will show you the latest records on a live call.
Mirror data: built from the shipment records of the countries that trade with it.
Updated weekly on EximDataX (some markets daily), while public statistics stop at 2024.
Source: CEPII BACI (reconciled UN Comtrade data), HS 2017 edition, release 202601, Etalab Open Licence 2.0. Annual values in US dollars at the customs border; quantities in tonnes where reported. HS 8905: Light-vessels, fire-floats, dredgers, floating cranes, other vessels; the navigability of which is subsidiary to main function; floating docks, floating, submersible drilling, production platforms.
Specialist vessels trade in the United Arab Emirates: questions
What is the value of specialist vessels imported by the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates imported specialist vessels worth $1.63 billion in 2024 (154.3 thousand tonnes).
Where does the United Arab Emirates import specialist vessels from?
The main supplier countries in 2024 were Saudi Arabia (49%), China (38%), India (12%).
What is the average import price of specialist vessels in the United Arab Emirates?
The average declared import value was about $10.54 per kg in 2024, against a world average of $6.89 per kg.
Does the United Arab Emirates export specialist vessels?
Yes. The United Arab Emirates exported specialist vessels worth $277.7 million in 2024, mainly to Brazil, India, Maldives.
What is the HS code for specialist vessels?
Specialist vessels falls under HS heading 8905 (Light-vessels, fire-floats, dredgers, floating cranes, other vessels; the navigability of which is subsidiary to main fu). The six-digit codes under it split the product by type.
How can I find the companies trading specialist vessels with the United Arab Emirates?
These public statistics stop at country level. EximDataX builds the United Arab Emirates trade from the records of its trading partners, updated weekly, so you can see who ships this product there.
Specialist vessels trade in other countries
More trade data for the United Arab Emirates
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