Paraguay’s imports have exceeded US$7.03 billion in 2025, a 4.5% year-on-year increase, according to the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP). This growth has been largely driven by strong demand in the industrial and agro-industrial sectors. Despite a drop in fuel purchases, total trade flows have remained resilient, highlighting robust activity in key areas of the national economy.
A significant portion of this growth can be attributed to the acquisition of advanced machinery and technology, which is helping to strengthen domestic production. Experts interpret this development as evidence of ongoing industrial expansion and a concerted effort to modernise Paraguay’s manufacturing base.
Capital goods drive growth
Imports related to the productive sector experienced a notable increase, totalling US$5.52 billion between January and May 2025, a 9% rise compared to the same period last year. This growth in industrial imports was led by increased purchases of equipment and technology required for manufacturing. The trend reflects a surge in investment across local industries aiming to improve productivity, efficiency, and capacity.
Maintained upward trend in agro-industrial
Paraguayan agro-industrial imports increased by nearly 12%, reaching US $480 million. This rise was primarily due to higher imports of processed food products, including meats, pasta, and bakery goods. These figures demonstrate not only growing domestic demand, but also a shift in consumption habits towards higher value-added goods. The agro-industrial sector contributed approximately 0.8 percentage points to the overall increase in imports.
Fuel imports decline due to stockpiling
Imports of fuels, particularly diesel and petrol, fell by 19.1% during the first five months of 2025, according to official figures from the Central Bank. This decline is attributed to reduced domestic demand and high inventory levels carried over from late 2024.
The sharpest reductions were observed in gasoil and petrol imports. Compared with data from May 2024, diesel imports dropped by 22.3%, while petrol fell by 17.9%. These decreases had a significant downward impact on Paraguay’s overall fuel imports.
Weaker consumption in both the transport and industrial sectors limited the need for new shipments. Moreover, importers had stockpiled fuel towards the end of 2024 in anticipation of logistical challenges, such as low water levels in the Paraguay River. These advance purchases ensured supply stability while simultaneously reducing the necessity for fresh imports in early 2025.
An economy in transition
This structural shift follows earlier foreign trade data, such as the US $57.1 million trade surplus recorded in October 2024, which was also driven by rising imports across several categories.The broader trend in trade indicates that Paraguay is gradually transitioning from a raw commodity-dependent economy, to a more diversified industrial one.
Rising imports of capital goods and production inputs underscore this shift, as the structure of Paraguay’s imports increasingly favours machinery, semi-processed materials, and technology over fuels and basic consumer goods.
