What is the purpose of the import statement in JavaScript modules?

The purpose of the import statement in JavaScript modules is to load functions, objects, or variables from other modules into the current module. This functionality allows developers to break their code into separate, reusable pieces or modules, enhancing organization and maintainability.

When you use the import statement, you're telling the JavaScript engine that you want to access specific functionalities from another file or module that has been previously defined and exported. This modular approach makes it easier to manage dependencies, share code across different parts of an application, and keep codebases clean and manageable. By allowing for selective importing, you can also limit the exposure of module internals, promoting better encapsulation and reducing the risk of naming collisions in your application's global scope.

For clarity, other options do not accurately represent the role of the import statement. Defining global variables does not require modules and is not the purpose of imports. The export functionality pertains to how a module makes its contents available to other modules, rather than how another module consumes those contents. Lastly, while module loading can involve performance considerations, the import statement itself is specifically for the purpose of loading functionalities and is not primarily intended for performance optimization.