That dollar amount results from a 28.9% upturn from $5.95 billion four years earlier in 2018.
Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from West Virginia accelerated by 20.9% compared to $6.34 billion for 2021.
West Virginia ranks among America’s 40 most exporters by state behind front-runners well behind front-runners including Texas, California, Louisiana, New York State and Illinois. The value of West Virginia’s exports equals 0.4% of United States’ overall exported products for 2022.
Based on research from Statista, West Virginia’s exported products represent 10.7% of the state’s total economic output or real Gross Domestic Product in 2022 ($71.65 billion).
Given West Virginia’s population of 1.775 million people, its total $7.67 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $4,300 for every resident in the Mountain State. That dollar metric eclipses the average $3,600 per capita in 2021.
West Virginia’s unemployment rate was 3.4% at then end of March 2023, down from the 3.7% jobless rate in February 2022 per YCharts.
West Virginia’s Top 10 Exports
The following export products represent the highest dollar value in West Virginia’s global shipments during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from West Virginia.
Figures are shown at the more granular six-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, for more precise product identification.
- Coal (non-agglomerated, bituminous): US$3.65 billion (47.6% of West Virginia’s exports)
- Spark-ignition reciprocating piston engines: $561.9 million (7.3%)
- Specific polyamides: $211.4 million (2.8%)
- Civilian aircraft, parts including engines: $178.3 million (2.3%)
- Polyacetals: $152.4 million (2%)
- Vehicle body parts, accessories: $152.3 million (2%)
- Miscellaneous polyethers in primary forms: $151.9 million (2%)
- Supported catalysts with precious metal: $113.5 million (1.5%)
- Propylene copolymers: $111.7 million (1.5%)
- Polyamides in primary form: $111.3 million (1.5%)
West Virginia’s top 10 exports generated about seven-tenths (70.4%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.
Vehicle body parts and accessories represent the fastest grower among West Virginia’s top 10 export categories, up by 135.7% from 2021 to 2022.
In second place for improving export sales were supported catalysts with precious metal, gaining 85.3%. Other strong advances were made for exported non-agglomerated bituminous coal (up 38.9%) then polyamides in primary form (up 30.5%).
The severest decline among West Virginia’s top 10 export products was the -15.8% year-over-year reduction for spark-ignition reciprocating piston engines.
More Key Facts about West Virginia’s International Trade
West Virginia earned an overall $3.56 billion trade surplus exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount reflects a 33.6% expansion from $2.7 billion in black ink for 2021.
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 West Virginia’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2022.
- Turbo-jets (higher-thrust): US$278.7 million (6.8% of West Virginia’s imports)
- Turbo-jet parts: $266.6 million (6.5%)
- Electric motor or generator parts: $108.5 million (2.6%)
- Aluminum alloys (unwrought): $99 million (2.4%)
- Flat-rolled iron/non-alloy steel products: $94.9 million (2.3%)
- Terephthalic acid, salts: $94.2 million (2.3%)
- Uncoated paper, paperboard: $93.7 million (2.3%)
- Motor vehicle gear boxes: $92.2 million (2.2%)
- Non-alloy aluminum (unwrought): $89.4 million (2.2%)
- Turbo-jets (lower-thrust): $81.7 million (2%)
West Virginia has highly positive net exports in the international trade of coal and large spark-ignition engines. In turn, these cashflows indicate West Virginia’s competitive advantages under those product categories.
West Virginia’s Major Trade Partners
The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased over three-quarters (77.6%) worth of the total value of products exported from West Virginia during 2022.
- Canada: US$1.53 billion (20% of West Virginia’s exports)
- Netherlands: $809.8 million (10.6%)
- India: $759.7 million (9.9%)
- Brazil: $706.1 million (9.2%)
- mainland China: $605.7 billion (7.9%)
- Japan: $523.4 million (6.8%)
- United Kingdom: $272.5 million (4.3%)
- Belgium: $267.2 million (3.5%)
- Mexico: $240.3 million (3.1%)
- Italy: $234.7 million (3.1%)
West Virginia’s top trade partners in Asia (India, mainland China, and Japan) bought 24.6% of the state’s export sales in 2022.
In comparison, customers in North America (Canada and Mexico) imported 23.1% of West Virginian exports. Another 20.7% arrived in leading import countries in Europe (Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium and Italy).
West Virginian Export Companies
Not one West Virginia-based corporation ranks among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses.
According to Zippia, below are examples of larger companies based in West Virginia.
- Allegheny Wood Products (hardwood/lumber goods)
- Homer Laughlin China (dinnerware)
- Royal Vendors (vending machines)
- Superior Fibers, LLC (heating/air conditioning/filtration products)
- WesBanco (bank holding company)
- Woodcraft (woodworking tools, other supplies)
Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the products or services which each business sells, some of which are related to international trade.
West Virginia’s capital is Charleston, a city nicknamed “Charlie West”.
See also Indiana’s Top 10 Exports, Nebraska’s Top 10 Exports, Wisconsin’s Top 10 Exports, Delaware’s Top 10 Exports and New Hampshire’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
Department of Numbers, West Virginia GDP (dollars shown in real terms). Accessed on May 7, 2023
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on May 7, 2023
Forbes, 2018 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 7, 2023
GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2018 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on May 7, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 7, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 7, 2023
State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on May 7, 2023
Statista, Real gross domestic product of West Virginia. Accessed on May 7, 2023
United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: West Virginia. Accessed on May 7, 2023
USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on May 7, 2023
Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in West Virginia. Accessed on May 7, 2023
Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on May 7, 2023
Wikipedia, West Virginia. Accessed on May 7, 2023
World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Charleston, United States. Accessed on May 7, 2023
YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on May 7, 2023
Zippia, These are the 100 largest companies in West Virginia. Accessed on May 7, 2023