Nicknamed “The Heart of Dixie” and “The Cotton State” located in America’s southeastern region, Alabama shipped US$26.9 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2024.

That dollar amount results from a 28.7% increase from $20.9 billion four years earlier in 2021.

Year over year, the overall value of Alabamian exports fell -3% compared to $27.8 billion during 2023.

Alabama ranks 22nd among America’s 25 biggest exporters by state behind front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois.

The value of Alabama’s exports equals 1.3% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2024, down from 1.4% in 2023.

Alabama’s exported products represent 8.4% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product ($321.2 billion).

Given Alabama’s population of 5.2 million people, its total $26.9 billion in 2024 exported goods translates to roughly $5,225 for every resident in the Cotton State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $5,200 per capita for the prior year.

Alabama’s unemployment rate was 3% in July 2025, same as 3% for July 2024 per YCharts.

Alabama’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Alabama global shipments during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Alabama.

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

1. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): US$5.1 billion (18.9% of total Alabamian exports)
2. Coal (non-agglomerated, bituminous): $2.3 billion (8.5%)
3. Automobiles with electric motors only: $1.7 billion (6.2%)
4. Civilian aircraft, engines, other aircraft parts: $1.4 billion (5.1%)
5. Larger automobiles (piston engine): $1.3 billion (5%)
6. Larger automobiles (diesel engine): $1.1 billion (4%)
7. Automobiles with spark ignition plus electric motors: $613 million (2.3%)
8. Chemical woodpulp, soda: $566.9 million (2.1%)
9. Automobiles with diesel plus electric motors: $558.4 million (2.1%)
10. Processed petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $328.9 million (1.2%)

Alabama’s top 10 exports represent over half (55.3%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Automobiles with spark ignition plus electric motors posted the fastest gain via a 34.9% advance, ahead of chemical woodpulp and soda (up 24.7%) then mid-sized automobiles powered by piston engine (up 10.4%).

Incurring the severest percentage declines were for Alabama’s exports of processed petroleum oils excluding biodiesel (down -39.5%), automobiles powered by electric motors only (down -28.2%) and larger automobiles powered by diesel enging (down -26.7%).

More Key Facts about Alabama’s International Trade

Alabama recorded an overall -US$11.8 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2024. That dollar amount reflects a 25.5% year-over-year expansion from -$9.4 billion in red ink in 2023.

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 Alabama’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2024.

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$2.5 billion (6.4% of total Alabamian imports)
2. Large spark-ignition piston engines: $1.7 billion (4.4%)
3. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $1.38 billion (3.6%)
4. Motor vehicle body parts, accessories: $1.36 billion (3.5%)
5. Plane or helicopter parts: $1.35 billion (3.5%)
6. Insulated wiring (vehicle, aircraft): $999.3 million (2.6%)
7. Motor vehicle parts or accessories: $923.2 million (2.4%)
8. Lithium ion batteries: $873 million (2.3%)
9. Parts of seats: $720.8 million (1.9%)
10. Turbojets: $555.5 million (1.4%)

Alabama has highly negative net exports in the international trade of crude petroleum oils. In turn, these cashflows indicate Alabama’s competitive disadvantages under that mineral fuels-related category.

Alabama’s Major Trading Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased over three-quarters (77.4%) worth of the total value of products exported from Alabama during 2024.

1. Canada: US$4.6 billion (17% of total Alabamian exports)
2. Mexico: $4.2 billion (15.6%)
3. mainland China: $4.19 billion (15.6%)
4. Germany: $4.1 billion (15.1%)
5. Japan: $863.1 million (3.2%)
6. South Korea: $782.7 million (2.9%)
7. India: $576.5 million (2.1%)
8. Brazil: $559 million (2.1%)
9. Belgium: $509.8 million (1.9%)
10. United Kingdom: $503.9 million (1.9%)

Alabama’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) bought 32.6% of the overall value of exported goods from the Cotton State.

In comparison, major importers in Asia (mainland China, Japan, South Korea and India) accounted for 23.8% of total Alabamian exports versus 18.9% for leading buyer countries in Europe (Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom).

Alabama Export Companies

Three Alabama-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Those firms are listed below.

• Encompass Health Corp (healthcare services)
• Regions Financial Corp (retail/commercial banking)
• Vulcan Materials Company (crushed stone, gravel, sand)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of products or services that each business offers, some of which are related to Alabama’s international trade transactions.

Alabama’s capital is Montgomery, a city nicknamed “The Gump”, “Cradle of the Confederacy” and “Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement”.

See also Utah’s Top 10 Exports, New York State’s Top 10 Exports, Top 10 Exports from Texas and Maine’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on September 13, 2025

Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 13, 2025

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List, Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on September 13, 2025

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 13, 2025

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 13, 2025

IBIS World, Alabama Economic Overview (GDP, population). Accessed on September 13, 2025

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Alabama. Accessed on September 13, 2025

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on September 13, 2025

Wikipedia, Alabama. Accessed on September 13, 2025

Wikipedia, List of Alabama Companies. Accessed on September 13, 2025

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on September 13, 2025

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on September 13, 2025