The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Florida global shipments during 2018. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Florida.

Figures are shown at the more granular six-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, for more precise product identification.

1. Aircraft including engines, parts: US$6.6 billion (11.5% of Florida’s total exports)
2. Cell phones: $2.9 billion (5.1%)
3. Gold (unwrought): $2 billion (4%)
4. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $1014 million (1.8%)
5. Integrated circuits (processors/controllers): $887 million (1.5%)
6. Small portable digital computers: $791 million (1.4%)
7. Polyamides: $698 million (1.2%)
8. Computer parts and accessories: $656 million (1.1%)
9. Medical/surgical/dental/veterinarian instruments: $649 million (1.1%)
10. Perfumes, toilet waters: $645 million (1.1%)

Florida’s top 10 exports accounted for over a quarter (29.3%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Polyamides were the fastest-growing among the top 10 export categories, up by 31.5% from 2017 to 2018.

In second place for improving export sales were medical, surgical, dental and veterinarian instruments or appliances which rose 9.3%.

Florida’s third-fastest gain was 8.4% year over year for two product categories namely modems and similar reception or transmission devices, and computer parts and accessories.

The leading decliners among Florida top 10 export products were small portable digital computers (down -10.6%) and unwrought gold (down -10.4%).

Overall, Florida incurred a -$18.4 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2018. That dollar amount reflects a -3.1% year-over-year decrease from -$18.7 billion in red ink in 2017.

Another way of saying surplus or deficit is positive or negative net exports. In a nutshell, the term “net exports” quantifies the amount by which foreign spending on a state’s goods or services exceeds or lags that same state’s spending on foreign goods or services.

Below are Florida’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2018.

1. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $3.3 billion (4.4% of Florida’s total imports)
2. Gold (unwrought): $2.6 billion (3.5%)
3. Cell phones: $2.5 billion (3.3%)
4. Miscellaneous petroleum oils: $1.4 billion (1.9%)
5. Bananas: $978 million (1.3%)
6. Fresh or chilled salmon fillets: $887 million (1.2%)
7. Perfumes, fragrances: $878 million (1.2%)
8. Cigars, cigarillos: $852 million (1.1%)
9. Integrated circuits (processors/controllers): $836 million (1.1%)
10. Large aircraft: $784 million (1%)

Florida has highly negative net exports in the international trade of automobiles. In turn, these cashflows indicate Florida’s competitive disadvantages under the automobiles product category showing the strong impact of foreign-made automotive goods on Florida’s global balance sheet}

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased 44.5% worth of the total value of products exported from Florida during 2018.

1. Brazil $4.2 billion (7.6% of Florida’s total exports)
2. Canada $3.6 billion (6.5%)
3. Mexico $3.1 billion (5.6%)
4. Germany $2.4 billion (4.3%)
5. Colombia $2.3 billion (4.2%)
6. Paraguay $2.1 billion (3.8%)
7. China $1.9 billion (3.4%)
8. Chile $1.8 billion (3.3%)
9. Argentina $1.7 billion (3%)
10. Dominican Republic $1.6 billion (2.8%)

Florida’s top trade partners in South America (Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina) account for 22.1% of the overall value of exported goods from the Sunshine State. This compares with 12.3% of Floridian shipments consumed by North American trade partners, Mexico and Canada.

Florida Export Companies

Thirty-five of Florida-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Selected examples are shown below.

• Dycom Industries (telecommunications)
• Tupperware Brands Corp (household goods, cosmetics, personal care)
• Platform Specialty Products Corp (chemicals)
• B/E Aerospace (aircraft-related products)
• Citrix Systems (software, cloud computing technologies)
• Roper Technologies (systems, controls, instruments)
• Watsco (air conditioning, heating, refrigeration-related goods)
• MasTec (pipelines, wireless communications, infrastructure)
• Harris Corp (communication, electronic, space, intelligence systems)
• Ryder (transportation/supply chain management goods)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services which each business sells.