We all know that these days we have all types of GUI tools that can help us import data into MySQL from various formats including csv format(comma separated values). But in some cases we need to incorporate a data import via shell/sql scripts that are part of a home cooked ETL process(also this is done using less resources). What is the basic syntax for use to do a data import from a csv file into a MySQL table. Note: -the user who will do the export must have the FILE grant. Example of importing data from csv file in MySQL A can say that is quite fast for an open source database. To see how to export the csv file into MySQL follow this Article.