Largest market shown
Cruise ships, excursion boats and similar vessels, principally designed for the transport of persons, ferry boats of all kinds
$299.0M of latest reported imports and $573.8M of calculated three-year opportunity.
Importer opportunity guide
Maldives import opportunities
where to source next
Explore Maldives's import market by product, supplier concentration, demand growth, and sourcing gaps. Use reported market size and calculated indicators to decide where deeper supplier research may be useful.
Latest imports$4.0B2024 reported value
Import CAGR+12.9%Three-year reported change
GDP$7.1BLatest reported value
GDP per capita$13.4KLatest reported value
Trade openness107.1%Reported share of GDP
Maldives import opportunities
What makes this an attractive import market?
Compare market size and growth with supplier concentration. A large market may still need product, quality, tariff, logistics, and buyer validation.
Current import base
$4.0B in imports
Maldives recorded $4.0B in imports in 2024, with a three-year change of +12.9%.
How to use the guide
Compare demand with supply
Start with the highest-value products, then review supplier concentration and market conditions before choosing a sourcing route.
Import market overview
Find products where demand and sourcing options meet
This page separates reported import observations from calculated indicators so market size is not mistaken for a guaranteed sourcing opportunity.
Maldives imports products from suppliers across major trade regions. The current profile reports $4.0B of imports in 2024, while the opportunity view highlights product and supplier combinations where market demand and supply context may justify further research.
Use the opportunity table to compare product market size, demand growth, supplier counts, concentration, and projected imports. High concentration can indicate reliance on a small supplier base; it can also reflect specialized products that require careful validation.
Top import opportunities
Products and supplier context to review
The top 50 screened products are ranked by calculated three-year opportunity. Reported market values and calculated indicators are labeled separately.
| Rank | Product | Market size | Demand growth | Suppliers | Concentration | Top supplier | Projected imports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HS 890110Cruise ships, excursion boats and similar vessels, principally designed for the transport of persons, ferry boats of all kinds | $299.0MLatest imports | +24.3% | 2 | 10000 | INDDeclining | $573.8M |
| 2 | HS 271012Product description unavailable | $276.5MLatest imports | +13.8% | 11 | 7957 | OMNDeclining | $407.9M |
| 3 | HS 710811Metals: gold, non-monetary, powder | $95.7MLatest imports | +103.0% | 3 | 10000 | AREDeclining | $186.9M |
| 4 | HS 880310Aircraft and spacecraft: propellers and rotors and parts thereof | $57.0MLatest imports | +29.6% | 18 | 8503 | AREDeclining | $111.2M |
| 5 | HS 880240Aeroplanes and other aircraft: of an unladen weight exceeding 15,000kg | $74.1MLatest imports | +11.4% | 5 | 9575 | INDSlowing | $102.5M |
| 6 | HS 271020Product description unavailable | $103.5MLatest imports | +6.9% | 8 | 5420 | AREStable | $126.5M |
| 7 | HS 271019Product description unavailable | $146.1MLatest imports | +11.0% | 46 | 2324 | SGPDeclining | $199.8M |
| 8 | HS 081090Fruit, edible: fruits n.e.c. in heading no. 0801 to 0810, fresh | $36.2MLatest imports | +26.9% | 75 | 4778 | AREDeclining | $70.6M |
| 9 | HS 890392Motorboats: (other than outboard motorboats), for pleasure or sports, other than inflatable | $27.4MLatest imports | +17.6% | 11 | 8093 | ARESlowing | $44.5M |
| 10 | HS 847150Digital processing units: other than those of subheadings 8471.41 or 8471.49, whether or not containing in the same housing one or two of the following types of unit: storage units, input units or output units | $26.7MLatest imports | +17.7% | 24 | 6241 | AREDeclining | $43.5M |
| 11 | HS 721420Iron or non-alloy steel: bars and rods, hot-rolled, hot-drawn or hot-extruded, containing indentations, ribs, grooves or other deformations produced during the rolling process or twisted after rolling | $43.0MLatest imports | +15.9% | 13 | 3877 | INDGrowing | $67.0M |
| 12 | HS 880330Aircraft and spacecraft: parts of aeroplanes or helicopters n.e.c. in heading no. 8803 | $41.1MLatest imports | +12.5% | 48 | 3356 | USAGrowing | $58.6M |
| 13 | HS 100630Cereals: rice, semi-milled or wholly milled, whether or not polished or glazed | $25.6MLatest imports | +7.3% | 35 | 7920 | INDDeclining | $31.7M |
| 14 | HS 847170Data processing machines: storage units | $19.7MLatest imports | +22.8% | 31 | 5420 | AREDeclining | $36.5M |
| 15 | HS 251690Monumental or building stone: n.e.c. in heading no. 2516, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape | $14.8MLatest imports | +21.0% | 2 | 10000 | INDDeclining | $26.2M |
| 16 | HS 300490Medicaments: consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.s. in heading no. 3004, for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, packaged for retail sale | $34.6MLatest imports | +10.7% | 51 | 3207 | INDDeclining | $46.9M |
| 17 | HS 880211Helicopters: of an unladen weight not exceeding 2000kg | $12.6MLatest imports | +162.3% | 2 | 10000 | AREDeclining | $24.6M |
| 18 | HS 851762Communication apparatus (excluding telephone sets or base stations): machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus | $33.1MLatest imports | +9.6% | 46 | 3431 | CHNDeclining | $43.6M |
| 19 | HS 040721Birds' eggs, in shell: fresh, not for incubation, of fowls of the species Gallus domesticus (domestic hens) | $18.8MLatest imports | +10.6% | 19 | 7474 | INDAccelerating | $25.5M |
| 20 | HS 841510Air conditioning machines: comprising a motor-driven fan and elements for changing the temperature and humidity, window or wall types, self-contained or split-system | $23.0MLatest imports | +11.3% | 21 | 4958 | CHNDeclining | $31.7M |
| 21 | HS 880230Aeroplanes and other aircraft: of an unladen weight exceeding 2000kg but not exceeding 15,000kg | $35.1MLatest imports | +4.2% | 2 | 5039 | USADeclining | $39.7M |
| 22 | HS 840721Engines: outboard motors for marine propulsion, spark-ignition reciprocating or rotary internal combustion piston engines | $14.1MLatest imports | +15.4% | 14 | 8419 | JPNDeclining | $21.6M |
| 23 | HS 847330Machines: parts and accessories of automatic data processing, magnetic or optical readers, digital processing units | $24.7MLatest imports | +12.8% | 31 | 3501 | AREDeclining | $35.5M |
| 24 | HS 940690Buildings: prefabricated, not of wood | $17.9MLatest imports | +12.8% | 16 | 5436 | CHNDeclining | $25.6M |
| 25 | HS 851712Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks | $36.0MLatest imports | +13.9% | 35 | 2860 | CHNGrowing | $53.2M |
| 26 | HS 847130Data processing machines: portable, digital and automatic, weighing not more than 10kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display | $22.1MLatest imports | +14.9% | 32 | 3263 | AREDeclining | $33.6M |
| 27 | HS 020714Meat and edible offal: of fowls of the species Gallus domesticus, cuts and offal, frozen | $21.1MLatest imports | +15.7% | 33 | 3251 | BRASlowing | $32.7M |
| 28 | HS 854449Insulated electric conductors: for a voltage not exceeding 80 volts, not fitted with connectors | $34.1MLatest imports | +12.9% | 42 | 2468 | CHNDeclining | $49.0M |
| 29 | HS 940540Lamps and light fittings: electric, n.e.s. in heading no. 9405 | $13.7MLatest imports | +14.8% | 38 | 6164 | CHNDeclining | $20.7M |
| 30 | HS 721491Iron or non-alloy steel: bars and rods, hot-rolled, hot-drawn or hot-extruded, n.e.c. in heading no. 7214, of rectangular (other than square) cross-section | $8.2MLatest imports | +54.7% | 2 | 9909 | INDStable | $16.1M |
| 31 | HS 852351Semiconductor media: solid-state non-volatile storage devices, whether or not recorded, excluding products of Chapter 37 | $12.5MLatest imports | +23.8% | 26 | 5122 | AREDeclining | $23.8M |
| 32 | HS 730890Iron or steel: structures and parts thereof, n.e.s. in heading no. 7308 | $19.3MLatest imports | +12.1% | 42 | 3647 | CHNDeclining | $27.2M |
| 33 | HS 020712Meat and edible offal: of fowls of the species Gallus domesticus, not cut in pieces, frozen | $20.0MLatest imports | +9.4% | 28 | 3673 | BRASlowing | $26.2M |
| 34 | HS 271112Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, propane | $18.7MLatest imports | +13.1% | 7 | 4394 | OMNDeclining | $27.0M |
| 35 | HS 271113Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons: liquefied, butanes | $12.0MLatest imports | +13.0% | 5 | 7100 | OMNDeclining | $17.3M |
| 36 | HS 381119Anti-knock preparations: other than those based on lead compounds | $7.2MLatest imports | +51.7% | 2 | 10000 | OMNDeclining | $14.1M |
| 37 | HS 761090Aluminium: structures (excluding prefabricated buildings of heading no. 9406) and parts of structures, n.e.c. in heading no. 7610, plates, rods, profiles, tubes and the like | $11.1MLatest imports | +15.1% | 27 | 6691 | CHNSlowing | $17.0M |
| 38 | HS 890120Tankers | $9.5MLatest imports | +13.7% | 2 | 9445 | CHNDeclining | $13.9M |
| 39 | HS 251710Pebbles, gravel, broken or crushed stone: of a kind commonly used for concrete aggregates, for road metalling or for railway or other ballast, shingle and flint, whether or not heat-treated | $16.4MLatest imports | +10.9% | 15 | 4832 | AREDeclining | $22.3M |
| 40 | HS 251749Stones: of heading no. 2515 or 2516 (excluding marble), in granules, chippings and powder, whether or not heat-treated | $8.9MLatest imports | +36.5% | 7 | 6440 | ARESlowing | $17.3M |
| 41 | HS 020745Meat and edible offal: of ducks, cuts and offal, excluding fatty livers, frozen | $7.6MLatest imports | +24.4% | 19 | 8271 | AREDeclining | $14.6M |
| 42 | HS 710812Metals: gold, non-monetary, unwrought (but not powder) | $10.4MLatest imports | +39.2% | 1 | 10000 | AREDeclining | $20.4M |
| 43 | HS 210690Food preparations: n.e.s. in item no. 2106.10 | $24.0MLatest imports | +13.4% | 91 | 1543 | AREDeclining | $35.0M |
| 44 | HS 854140Electrical apparatus: photosensitive, including photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled in modules or made up into panels, light emitting diodes | $11.0MLatest imports | +20.0% | 27 | 4765 | CHNDeclining | $18.9M |
| 45 | HS 170199Sugars: sucrose, chemically pure, in solid form, not containing added flavouring or colouring matter | $14.2MLatest imports | +6.9% | 39 | 4922 | INDDeclining | $17.3M |
| 46 | HS 070310Vegetables, alliaceous: onions and shallots, fresh or chilled | $9.3MLatest imports | +10.9% | 44 | 7775 | INDSlowing | $12.7M |
| 47 | HS 440799Wood: sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, thicker than 6mm, n.e.c. in heading no. 4407 | $15.0MLatest imports | +4.4% | 23 | 4394 | MYSSlowing | $17.1M |
| 48 | HS 440711Wood: coniferous species, of pine (Pinus spp.), sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or finger-jointed, of a thickness exceeding 6mm | $11.8MLatest imports | +33.2% | 17 | 3045 | NZLDeclining | $23.0M |
| 49 | HS 252329Cement: portland, other than white, whether or not artificially coloured | $22.8MLatest imports | +8.5% | 19 | 2708 | INDDeclining | $29.1M |
| 50 | HS 440729Wood, tropical: (as specified in subheading note 1, chapter 44, customs tariff), n.e.c. in item no. 4407.2, sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, thicker than 6mm | $6.3MLatest imports | +22.6% | 8 | 8763 | MYSDeclining | $11.6M |
Showing the five highest-ranked products on mobile. View the complete import opportunity data.
Product sectors
Which sectors carry the most demand?
HS2 sectors group the screened products into broader families for an easier first comparison.
| Sector | Products | Market size | Opportunity | Average growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShipsHS2 89 | 3 | $335.8M | $627.3M | +18.5% |
| HS2 sector 00HS2 00 | 3 | $526.1M | $519.9M | +10.6% |
| AircraftHS2 88 | 5 | $219.9M | $280.2M | +44.0% |
| Precious stones and metalsHS2 71 | 2 | $106.1M | $199.6M | +71.1% |
| MachineryHS2 84 | 6 | $130.3M | $138.4M | +15.8% |
| Electrical equipmentHS2 85 | 5 | $126.7M | $86.7M | +16.1% |
| Salt, sulphur, earths and stoneHS2 25 | 4 | $62.9M | $64.0M | +19.2% |
| Iron and steelHS2 72 | 2 | $51.3M | $47.8M | +35.3% |
| Edible fruit and nutsHS2 08 | 1 | $36.2M | $47.6M | +26.9% |
| Meat and edible meat offalHS2 02 | 3 | $48.7M | $45.4M | +16.5% |
| Furniture and lightingHS2 94 | 2 | $31.6M | $34.4M | +13.8% |
| Wood articlesHS2 44 | 3 | $33.1M | $33.0M | +20.1% |
Supply gaps
Where supplier concentration deserves attention
The concentration index helps identify products where reported imports rely more heavily on a smaller supplier base. It is a screening signal, not a recommendation by itself.
| Product | Market size | Suppliers | Concentration | Top supplier | Share gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HS 890110Cruise ships, excursion boats and similar vessels, principally designed for the transport of persons, ferry boats of all kinds | $299.0M | 2 | 10000 | IND | 100.0% |
| HS 710811Metals: gold, non-monetary, powder | $95.7M | 3 | 10000 | ARE | 100.0% |
| HS 251690Monumental or building stone: n.e.c. in heading no. 2516, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular (including square) shape | $14.8M | 2 | 10000 | IND | 100.0% |
| HS 710812Metals: gold, non-monetary, unwrought (but not powder) | $10.4M | 1 | 10000 | ARE | 62.4% |
| HS 880211Helicopters: of an unladen weight not exceeding 2000kg | $12.6M | 2 | 10000 | ARE | 99.9% |
| HS 381119Anti-knock preparations: other than those based on lead compounds | $7.2M | 2 | 10000 | OMN | 99.9% |
| HS 721491Iron or non-alloy steel: bars and rods, hot-rolled, hot-drawn or hot-extruded, n.e.c. in heading no. 7214, of rectangular (other than square) cross-section | $8.2M | 2 | 9909 | IND | 99.5% |
| HS 880240Aeroplanes and other aircraft: of an unladen weight exceeding 15,000kg | $74.1M | 5 | 9575 | IND | 97.8% |
Supplier landscape
Which supplier markets appear most often?
These supplier names come from the leading peer signal in the screened opportunity rows and should be validated at product level.
IND
India
11 screened products
$857.4MCalculated opportunity across these rowsARE
United Arab Emirates
16 screened products
$668.1MCalculated opportunity across these rowsOMN
Oman
4 screened products
$405.7MCalculated opportunity across these rowsCHN
China
10 screened products
$169.8MCalculated opportunity across these rowsSGP
Singapore
1 screened products
$67.7MCalculated opportunity across these rowsUSA
USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands
2 screened products
$52.8MCalculated opportunity across these rowsBRA
Brazil
2 screened products
$32.1MCalculated opportunity across these rowsMYS
Malaysia
2 screened products
$22.0MCalculated opportunity across these rowsFrequently asked questions
Using the Maldives import opportunity index
Definitions and practical guidance for interpreting market size, growth, suppliers, and concentration.
What are the import opportunities?
They are product and supplier combinations in Maldives's screened import market with substantial reported demand and calculated opportunity indicators. They are research priorities, not guaranteed savings or supply contracts.
What does supplier concentration mean?
The concentration index indicates how much reported imports rely on a smaller supplier base. A high value can suggest supply dependence, but it can also reflect specialized products or limited reporting.
How should sourcing teams use this page?
Start with products that fit your specification and volume needs, then validate suppliers, tariffs, standards, logistics, pricing, and continuity for Maldives.
Data source
OECD trade statistics with CEPII context
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-30). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.