Most Americans have become painfully aware of the supply chain in the past two years. Trade is big business, and the U.S. is the largest economy in the world. In just one month, March 2022, U.S. exports were worth $241.7 billion, and imports were worth $351.5 billion.
California’s economy alone is the 10th largest in the world, and Texas’ economy is the size of Brazil’s.
Petroleum is the top import into 12 states, making it the most common leading import, according to Ondeck, a global online small business lending company, which researched official U.S. international trade data to find the top import and export products for each state.
Aircraft are the most common top export, leading in 14 states, and New York imports $21.9 billion worth of precious metals each year, the biggest import for any state. Texas has the biggest export commodity of any state, shipping $43.5 billion of fuel.
To find these top imports and exports, along with each state’s most unique imports and exports, Ondeck crunched the numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, ranking the imports and exports based on monetary value, and selecting the top entry for each state. The data was collected in January 2022.
Alabama
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Vehicles
- Top unique import: Alloy steel
- Top unique export: Polycarbonates
Alabama is home to three major auto manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and Hyundai.
Alaska
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Zinc
- Top unique import: Telecommunications instruments
- Top unique export: Zinc
Arizona
- Top import: Aircraft
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Tomatoes
- Top unique export: Semiconductors
Arkansas
- Top import: Aircraft
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Military projectiles
- Top unique export: Rice
California
- Top import: Vehicles
- Top export: Vehicles
- Top unique import: Data monitors
- Top unique export: Vehicles
Colorado
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Cow meat
- Top unique import: Hearing aids
- Top unique export: Machine insulation
Connecticut
- Top import: Silver
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Sulfa drugs
- Top unique export: Propellors and rotors
Delaware
- Top import: Medicine
- Top export: Medicine
- Top unique import: Pineapples
- Top unique export: Electric motors
Florida
- Top import: Nucleic acids
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Salmon
- Top unique export: Fertilizers
Georgia
- Top import: Vehicles
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Medicine
- Top unique export: Clay
Georgia is home to the only Kia manufacturing plant in the U.S.
Hawaii
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Ferrous scrap
- Top unique import: Tuna
- Top unique export: Shrimp
Idaho
- Top import: Data processing parts
- Top export: Semiconductors
- Top unique import: Resistors
- Top unique export: Silver
Illinois
- Top import: Telephones
- Top export: Medicine
- Top unique import: Tractors
- Top unique export: Dump trucks
Indiana
- Top import: Medicine
- Top export: Medicine
- Top unique import: Hormones
- Top unique export: Trailers
Iowa
- Top import: Road tractors
- Top export: Corn
- Top unique import: Gelatin
- Top unique export: Molybdenum ores
Kansas
- Top import: Airplane parts
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Radio apparatus
- Top unique export: Great millet
Kentucky
- Top import: Vaccines and antibodies
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Vaccines and antibodies
- Top unique export: Steering wheels
Louisiana
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Soybeans
- Top unique import: Palm oil
- Top unique export: Chemical compounds
Maine
- Top import: Light oils
- Top export: Lobster
- Top unique import: Lobster
- Top unique export: Lobster
Maryland
- Top import: Vehicles
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Tin
- Top unique export: Nucleic acids
Massachusetts
- Top import: Light oils
- Top export: Gold
- Top unique import: Lobster
- Top unique export: Pearls
Michigan
- Top import: Vehicles
- Top export: Vehicles
- Top unique import: Electrical lighting
- Top unique export: Rear-view mirrors
Minnesota
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Light oils
- Top unique import: Pacemakers
- Top unique export: Iron ore
Mississippi
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Petroleum
- Top unique import: Fans
- Top unique export: Tools
Missouri
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Vehicles
- Top unique import: Electric motors
- Top unique export: Chemical compounds
Montana
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Coal
- Top unique import: Cigarettes
- Top unique export: Coal
Nebraska
- Top import: Nucleic acids
- Top export: Cow meat
- Top unique import: Chemical compounds
- Top unique export: Syringes
Nevada
- Top import: Electrical processors
- Top export: Gold
- Top unique import: Batteries
- Top unique export: Coin games
New Hampshire
- Top import: Airplane parts
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Rubber
- Top unique export: Radio parts
New Jersey
- Top import: Medicine
- Top export: Palladium
- Top unique import: Cheese
- Top unique export: Platinum
New Mexico
- Top import: Data processing parts
- Top export: Data processing parts
- Top unique import: Transmitters
- Top unique export: Petroleum
New York
- Top import: Precious metal
- Top export: Diamonds
- Top unique import: Diamonds
- Top unique export: Sculptures
North Carolina
- Top import: Vaccines and antibodies
- Top export: Vaccines and antibodies
- Top unique import: Hormones
- Top unique export: Medicine
North Dakota
- Top import: Platinum
- Top export: Light oils
- Top unique import: Rapeseed
- Top unique export: Rapeseed
Rapeseed is used to produce canola oil.
Ohio
- Top import: Medicine
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Medicine
- Top unique export: Sanitary towels
Oklahoma
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Metal residue
- Top unique export: Vehicles
Oregon
- Top import: Semiconductor machines
- Top export: Electrical processors
- Top unique import: Alloy steel
- Top unique export: Potassium chloride
Pennsylvania
- Top import: Medicine
- Top export: Medicine
- Top unique import: Vaccines
- Top unique export: Diesel trains
Rhode Island
- Top import: Vehicles
- Top export: Precious metal
- Top unique import: Vehicles
- Top unique export: Vaccines and antibodies
South Carolina
- Top import: Uranium
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Tractor cabs
- Top unique export: Vehicles
Tico is a tractor cab company in Ridgeland, S.C.
Tico Tractors
South Dakota
- Top import: Cow meat
- Top export: Brewing dregs
- Top unique import: Cow meat
- Top unique export: Pig meat
Brewing dregs are used to make bread, granola bars, and even dog treats. They can also be used as compost and possibly even fish food and as a way to treat wastewater, according to Modern Farmer.
Tennessee
- Top import: Medicine
- Top export: Surgical instruments
- Top unique import: Data-processing machines
- Top unique export: Catgut suture
Texas
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Petroleum
- Top unique import: Human blood
- Top unique export: Acyclic ethers
Utah
- Top import: Gold
- Top export: Gold
- Top unique import: Cutting machines
- Top unique export: Safety airbags
Vermont
- Top import: Electrical energy
- Top export: Electronic circuits
- Top unique import: Chocolate
- Top unique export: Machine parts
Virginia
- Top import: Printer parts
- Top export: Coal
- Top unique import: Waters
- Top unique export: Nonwovens
Washington
- Top import: Vehicles
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Metal furniture
- Top unique export: Soybean flours
West Virginia
- Top import: Airplane parts
- Top export: Coal
- Top unique import: Cutting machines
- Top unique export: Polyethers
Wisconsin
- Top import: Vaccines
- Top export: Aircraft
- Top unique import: Aircraft engines
- Top unique export: Marine vehicle engines
Wyoming
- Top import: Petroleum
- Top export: Disodium carbonate
- Top unique import: Ammonium nitrate
- Top unique export: Rare gases
You can see the methodology for this study, and related visualizations, at Ondeck.com.
