Two ways to find something worth building: what people are reporting as problems, and what this country is paying foreigners for. Both are ranked; neither is combined into the other.
Country · 2019–2024 · 60,550 trade records
One dot is one manufactured product this country imports. Hover to see which; click for the pathway and what it might cost to start. Both axes are annual trade, on a log scale — each gridline is ten times the last — because the figures span three and a half orders of magnitude and a linear axis would stack all but the largest onto the origin. Computed Nov 10, 2026 · 00:00 UTC.
37 of 50 sit below the parity line — the country buys more of that product than it sells. That gap is the opportunity; the ones above it are already served by domestic makers. These are the top 50 manufactured products out of 291 scored.
| Product | HS code | Annual imports | Annual exports | Buys per unit sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper and paperboard; coated with kaolin or other inorganic substances, for printing/writing/graphics, having 10% or less by weight of total fibres got by mechanical/chemi-mechanical process, sides exceeding 435mm and 297mm, unfolded, sheets | 481019 | $257.1M | $73M | 3.5x |
| Uncoated paper and paperboard (not 4801 or 4803); printing, writing or graphic, 10% or less by weight of mechanical or chemi-mechanical processed fibre, weighing 40g/m2 to 150g/m2, in rolls | 480255 | $100.9M | $78.4M | 1.2x |
| Paper and paperboard; multi-ply, coated with kaolin or other inorganic substances only, for non-graphic purposes, n.e.c. in heading no. 4810, in rolls or sheets | 481092 | $156M | $162.8M | 0.9x |
| Printed matter; in single sheets, whether or not folded | 490110 | $90.5M | $302.6M | 0.2x |
| Paper pulp, paper, paperboard, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres; articles n.e.c. in heading no. 4823 | 482390 | $70.4M | $513.8M | 0.1x |
| Newsprint; made of fibres obtained essentially by a chemi-mechanical process or of a weight, per m2, of more than 57g but not more than 65g, in rolls or sheets | 480100 | $411M | $4.1M | 99.3x |
| Paper, paperboard, cellulose wadding and webs of soft cellulose fibres; coated, impregnated, covered, surface-decorated or surface-coloured, n.e.c. in heading no. 4811, in rolls or sheets | 481190 | $211.5M | $35.2M | 5.9x |
| Kraft paper and paperboard; uncoated, bleached, weight 150g/m2 or less, in rolls or sheets, other than that of heading no. 4802 or 4803 | 480439 | $102.7M | $29.1M | 3.5x |
| Paper and paperboard; coated with kaolin or other inorganic substances, for printing & writing, graphics, containing no, or not more than 10% by weight of total fibres obtained by mechanical or chemi-mechanical process, in rolls | 481013 | $215.8M | $30.3M | 7.1x |
| Plywood; consisting only of sheets of wood (not bamboo), each ply 6mm or thinner, with at least one outer ply of tropical wood | 441231 | $127.7M | $23.5M | 5.4x |
| Wood, of tropical wood; as in Subheading note 2 to this Chapter, n.e.c. in heading no. 4408.31, sheets for veneer or plywood, other wood sawn length wise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, not thicker than 6mm | 440839 | $139.4M | $11.6M | 12.0x |
| Paper and paperboard; cartons, boxes and cases, of corrugated paper or paperboard | 481910 | $32.9M | $55.7M | 0.5x |
| Paper and paperboard; folding cartons, boxes and cases, of non-corrugated paper or paperboard | 481920 | $68.7M | $130.2M | 0.5x |
| Uncoated paper and paperboard (not 4801 or 4803); printing, writing or graphic, 10% or less by weight of mechanical or chemi-mechanical processed fibre, weight 40-150g/m2, n.e.c. in item no. 4802.55 or 4802.56 | 480257 | $75.4M | $158.7M | 0.4x |
| Paper and paperboard; self-adhesive, in rolls or sheets, other than goods of heading no. 4803, 4809, or 4810 | 481141 | $97.6M | $69.6M | 1.4x |
| Paper and paperboard; coated with inorganic substances only, whether or not surface-coloured, surface-decorated or printed, n.e.c. in heading no. 4810, in rolls or sheets | 481099 | $47.3M | $113.3M | 0.4x |
| Paper and paperboard; coated, impregnated or covered with plastics (excluding adhesives), other than bleached and weighing more than 150g/m2, other than goods of heading no. 4803, 4809, or 4810 | 481159 | $58.8M | $159M | 0.3x |
| Paper or paperboard; waste and scrap, of paper or paperboard n.e.c. in heading no. 4707 and of unsorted waste and scrap | 470790 | $502.5M | $21.4K | 23479.3x |
| Wood, tropical; teak, in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared, untreated | 440342 | $307.8M | $27.4K | 11213.0x |
| Wood, tropical; teak, sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, planed, square dressed, structural, thicker than 6mm | 440723 | $102.7M | $3.9M | 26.0x |
| Wood pulp; chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate, (other than dissolving grades), semi-bleached or bleached, of coniferous wood | 470321 | $336.1M | $20.1K | 16691.4x |
| Paper and paperboard; uncoated, weight 150g/m2 or less, in rolls or sheets, n.e.c. in heading no.4805 | 480591 | $130.6M | $2.3M | 56.0x |
| Wood; n.e.c. in heading no. 4408, sheets for veneer or plywood, other wood sawn lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed, not exceeding 6mm in thickness | 440890 | $196.8M | $7.4M | 26.4x |
| Wood; coniferous species, of pine (Pinus spp.), in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared, untreated, of which the smallest cross-sectional dimension is 15 cm or more | 440321 | $326.8M | $19.4K | 16795.6x |
| Wood pulp; chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate, (other than dissolving grades), semi-bleached or bleached, of non-coniferous wood | 470329 | $336M | $9K | 37006.6x |
| Wood pulp; chemical wood pulp, dissolving grades | 470200 | $887.8M | $98 | 9027425.7x |
| Wood; in the rough, whether or not stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared, untreated, n.e.c. in heading no. 4403 | 440399 | $140.7M | $7.7M | 18.1x |
| Paper or paperboard; waste and scrap, of unbleached kraft paper or paperboard or corrugated paper or paperboard | 470710 | $456.1M | $22K | 20656.9x |
| Wood pulp; obtained by a combination of mechanical and chemical pulping processes | 470500 | $323.5M | $13 | 23636629.0x |
| Uncoated paper and paperboard (not 4801 or 4803); printing, writing or graphic, 10% or less by weight of mechanical or chemi-mechanical processed fibre, weight 40-150g/m2, in sheets 435mm or less by 297mm or less (unfolded) | 480256 | $44.1M | $44.4M | 0.9x |
| Paper and paperboard; coated with kaolin or other inorganic substances only, having more than 10% of mechanically processed fibres, (excluding light-weight paper), for writing, printing or other graphic purposes, in rolls or sheets | 481029 | $90.9M | $10.1M | 9.0x |
| Paper and paperboard; coated, impregnated or covered with plastics (excluding adhesives), bleached, weighing more than 150g/m2, other than goods of heading no. 4803, 4809, or 4810 | 481151 | $45.4M | $22.7M | 1.9x |
| Printed matter; n.e.c. in heading no. 4911 | 491199 | $64.1M | $14.3M | 4.4x |
| Wood; non-coniferous, other than bamboo or tropical wood, (including unassembled strips and friezes for parquet flooring), continuously shaped along any edges, ends or faces, whether or not planed, sanded or end-jointed | 440929 | $36.6M | $10.1M | 3.6x |
| Paper and paperboard; labels or all kinds, printed | 482110 | $65M | $25.6M | 2.5x |
| Tissue, towel, napkin stock or similar; for household or sanitary use, cellulose, wadding webs of cellulose fibres, in rolls exceeding 36cm in width or rectangular sheets with one side more than 36cm in unfolded state | 480300 | $28M | $33.9M | 0.8x |
| Tableware and kitchenware, of wood; not of bamboo or tropical wood | 441990 | $16.6M | $65.2M | 0.2x |
| Wood; 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 | 440711 | $123.8M | $494.5K | 250.3x |
| Wood; not of bamboo, articles n.e.c. in heading no. 4414 to 4420 (excluding clothes hangers) | 442199 | $17M | $186.4M | 0.0x |
| Paper; glassine and other glazed transparent or translucent papers, in rolls or sheets | 480640 | $112.9M | $579.6K | 194.8x |
| Paper and paperboard; sacks and bags, including cones, of paper, paperboard, cellulose wadding or fibres, having a base width less than 40cm | 481940 | $17.9M | $112.5M | 0.1x |
| Paper or paperboard; waste and scrap, paper or paperboard made mainly of bleached chemical pulp, not coloured in the mass | 470720 | $197.6M | $721 | 273788.0x |
| Plywood; with sheets of wood only; not bamboo; each ply 6mm or less, with at least one outer ply of alder, ash, beech, birch, cherry, chestnut, elm, eucalyptus, hickory, horse chestnut, lime, maple, oak, plane, poplar, aspen, robinia, tulipwood or walnut | 441233 | $31.1M | $1.6M | 18.5x |
| Kraft paper and paperboard; kraftliner, uncoated, unbleached, in rolls or sheets, other than that of heading no. 4802 or 4803 | 480411 | $44.6M | $7M | 6.3x |
| Unused postage, revenue or similar stamps of current or new issue in the country in which they have, or will have, a recognised face value; stamp-impressed paper; cheque forms; banknotes, stock, share or bond certificates and the like of similar title | 490700 | $32.9M | $8.8M | 3.7x |
| Plywood; n.e.c. in heading 4412, with both outer plies of coniferous wood | 441299 | $64.5M | $4.6M | 13.8x |
| Paper and paperboard; filter paper and paperboard | 482320 | $57.9M | $4.9M | 11.7x |
| Paper and paperboard; labels of all kinds, unprinted | 482190 | $30.7M | $5.6M | 5.4x |
| Fibreboard (other than MDF) of a density exceeding 0.8g/cm3, of wood or other ligneous materials, bonded or not with resins or other organic substances | 441192 | $27.4M | $5.5M | 4.9x |
| Paper and paperboard; uncoated, weight more than 150g/m2 but less than 225 g/m2, in rolls or sheets, n.e.c. in heading no. 4805 | 480592 | $48.6M | $2.5M | 19.1x |
Pick a dot to see what that product would take to make here.
Categories where people are reporting problems and the country imports heavily. A coincidence worth looking at — not a combined score. The two numbers count different things and are shown separately for that reason.
No category currently clears the bar on both sides. That is a real finding: it means the problems people are reporting and the goods the country buys abroad are not pointing at the same place yet.
Joined on the research category, which is the coarsest link available — eight categories cover every commodity. Treat it as a hint about where to look, not as a match between a reported problem and a product.
A ranking is only as honest as its exclusions.