By Bruno Venditti
Asia’s exports span a wide range, from petroleum and minerals to technology components and textile products.
In this map, we display the top exports (as of 2022) of Asian countries, excluding Middle Eastern nations. Data was sourced from The Observatory of Economic Complexity.
Editor’s Note: For our most recent Middle East themed version of this map, go here.
Diverse Economies Across the Continent
Like in many other countries around the world, petroleum is a significant component of the Asian continental economy, with petroleum products as India’s top exporting category, amounting to approximately $86 billion per year in trade.
Another top product coming from Asia is integrated circuits. These are used in a multitude of applications spanning computing, communications, consumer electronics, automotive, industrial automation, medical devices, aerospace and defense.
| Country | Top Export (2022) | Top Export Value (USD Billions) |
|---|---|---|
 China |
Broadcasting Equipment | $272.0 |
 Taiwan |
Integrated Circuits | $223.0 |
 South Korea |
Integrated Circuits | $121.0 |
 Japan |
Cars | $89.0 |
 India |
Petroleum Products | $86.2 |
 Singapore |
Integrated Circuits | $81.9 |
 Malaysia |
Integrated Circuits | $78.9 |
 Vietnam |
Broadcasting Equipment | $58.5 |
 Indonesia |
Coal Briquettes | $50.8 |
 Kazakhstan |
Petroleum Products | $47.6 |
 Philippines |
Integrated Circuits | $32.4 |
 Azerbaijan |
Petroleum Products | $19.4 |
 Thailand |
Machinery | $19.3 |
 Turkmenistan |
Petroleum Products | $9.2 |
 Bangladesh |
Textiles and Garments | $9.1 |
 Mongolia |
Coal Briquettes | $6.5 |
 Uzbekistan |
Gold | $5.2 |
 Brunei |
Petroleum Products | $4.9 |
 Pakistan |
Textiles and Garments | $4.9 |
 Myanmar (Burma) |
Ore & Minerals | $4.1 |
 Cambodia |
Textiles and Garments | $3.1 |
 Laos |
Electricity | $2.4 |
 Sri Lanka |
Tea | $1.3 |
 Georgia |
Ore & Minerals | $1.0 |
 Armenia |
Ore & Minerals | $0.7 |
 Tajikistan |
Gold | $0.6 |
 Afghanistan |
Coal Briquettes | $0.4 |
 Maldives |
Planes, Helicopters, Spacecraft | $0.4 |
 Bhutan |
Ore & Minerals | $0.3 |
 Timor-Leste (East Timor) |
Petroleum Products | $0.3 |
 Nepal |
Palm Oil | $0.2 |
 Kyrgyzstan |
Petroleum Products | $0.1 |
 North Korea |
Ore & Minerals | $0.03 |
In addition, the region is also a big manufacturer of semiconductors, crucial for applications ranging from telecommunications and artificial intelligence to renewable energy and healthcare. Taiwan holds a 68% share of the advanced semiconductor market.
Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Cambodia are major producers of textile products such as t-shirts, sweaters, and household linens. Most of their products go to the United States and Europe, feeding popular outfit brands.
Asia stands out as a top producer of minerals and fuel, with Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Mongolia being top producers of coal briquettes used for heating, cooking, and industrial processes, while Armenia, Georgia, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), and North Korea rely on ore and mineral extraction as their top exporting sector.
