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Made in America: Goods Exports by State
After China, the U.S. is the next largest exporter of goods in the world, shipping out $1.8 trillion worth of goods in 2021—an increase of 23% over the previous year.
Of course, that massive number doesn’t tell the whole story. The U.S. economy is multifaceted, with varying levels of trade activity taking place all across the nation.
Using the latest data on international trade from the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, we’ve visualized the value of America’s goods exports by state.
Top 10 Exporter States
Here are the top 10 American states that exported the highest dollar value worth of goods during 2021. Combined, these export-leading states represent 59.4% of the nation’s total exports.
| Rank | State | Total Exports Value | % share |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | $375.3 billion | 21.4% |
| #2 | California | $175.1 billion | 10.0% |
| #3 | New York | $84.9 billion | 4.8% |
| #4 | Louisiana | $76.8 billion | 4.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | $65.9 billion | 3.8% |
| #6 | Michigan | $55.5 billion | 3.2% |
| #7 | Florida | $55.5 billion | 3.2% |
| #8 | Washington | $53.6 billion | 3.1% |
| #9 | Ohio | $50.4 billion | 2.9% |
| #10 | New Jersey | $49.5 billion | 2.8% |
| Top 10 States | $1.04 trillion | 59.4% |
Texas has been the top exporting state in the U.S. for an incredible 20 years in a row.
Last year, Texas exported $375 billion worth of goods, which is more than California ($175 billion), New York ($85 billion), and Louisiana ($77 billion) combined. The state’s largest manufacturing export category is petroleum and coal products, but it’s also important to mention that Texas led the nation in tech exports for the ninth straight year.
California was the second highest exporter of goods in 2021 with a total value of $175 billion, an increase of 12% from the previous year. The state’s main export by value was computer and electronic product manufacturing, representing 17.8% of the total U.S. exports of that industry. California was also second among all states in exports of machinery manufacturing, accounting for 13.9% of the U.S. total.
What Type of Goods are Exported?
Here is a breakdown of the biggest U.S. export categories by value in 2021.
| Rank | Product Group | Annual Export Value (2021) | Share of Total Exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral fuels including oil | $239.8 billion | 13.7% |
| 2 | Machinery including computers | $209.3 billion | 11.9% |
| 3 | Electrical machinery, equipment | $185.4 billion | 10.6% |
| 4 | Vehicles | $122.2 billion | 7.0% |
| 5 | Optical, technical, medical apparatus | $91.7 billion | 5.2% |
| 6 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $89.1 billion | 5.1% |
| 7 | Gems, precious metals | $82.3 billion | 4.7% |
| 8 | Pharmaceuticals | $78 billion | 4.4% |
| 9 | Plastics, plastic articles | $74.3 billion | 4.2% |
| 10 | Organic chemicals | $42.9 billion | 2.4% |
These top 10 export categories alone represent almost 70% of America’s total exports.
The biggest grower among this list is mineral fuels, up by 59% from last year. Pharmaceuticals saw the second biggest one-year increase (45%).
Top 10 U.S. Exports by Country of Destination
So who is buying “Made in America” products?
Unsurprisingly, neighboring countries Canada (17.5%) and Mexico (15.8%) are the two biggest buyers of American goods. Together, they purchase one-third of American exports.
| Rank | Destination Country | Share of U.S. Goods Exports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | 17.5% |
| 2 | Mexico | 15.8% |
| 3 | China | 8.6% |
| 4 | Japan | 4.3% |
| 5 | South Korea | 3.7% |
| 6 | Germany | 3.7% |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 3.5% |
| 8 | Netherlands | 3.1% |
| 9 | Brazil | 2.7% |
| 10 | India | 2.3% |
Three Asian countries round out the top five list: China (8.6%), Japan (4.3%), and South Korea (3.7%). Together, the top five countries account for around half of all goods exports.
The post Made in America: Goods Exports by State appeared first on Visual Capitalist.