Nicknamed “The Heart of Dixie” and “The Cotton State” located in America’s southeastern region, Alabama shipped US$25.6 billion worth of products around the globe in 2022.

That dollar amount reflects a 23.1% increase from $20.8 billion four years earlier in 2019.

Year over year, the overall value of Alabamian exports accelerated by 22.3% compared to $20.9 billion during 2021.

Alabama ranks among America’s 25 biggest exporters by state behind front-runners including Texas, California, Louisiana, New York and Illinois. The value of Alabama’s exports equals 1.2% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2022, the same percentage as in 2021.

Based on research from Statista, Alabama’s exported products represent 12% of the state’s total economic output or real Gross Domestic Product ($213.3 billion in current dollars based on BEA statistics).

Given Alabama’s population of 5.07 million people, its total $25.6 billion in 2022 exported goods translates to roughly $5,000 for every resident in the Cotton State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $4,200 per capita for the prior year.

Alabama’s unemployment rate was 2.3% in March 2023, down from 4% in February 2022 per YCharts.

Alabama’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Alabama global shipments during 2022. 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$3.6 billion (13.9% of Alabama’s total exports)
2. Coal (non-agglomerated, bituminous) $1 billion (7.8%)
3. Civilian aircraft including engines, parts: $1.32 billion (5.2%)
4. Large automobiles (piston engine): $1.26 billion (4.9%)
5. Automobiles with compression ignition plus electric motors: $1.25 billion (4.9%)
6. Larger automobiles (diesel engine): $1.23 billion (4.8%)
7. Processed petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $687.9 million (2.7%)
8. Chemical woodpulp, soda: $637.2 million (2.5%)
9. Kraft paper, paperboard: $534.5 million (2.1%)
10. Automobiles with spark ignition plus electric motors: $510.4 million (2%)

Alabama’s top 10 exports represent about half (50.8%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Processed petroleum oils excluding biodiesel (up 194.6%) posted the fastest gain from 2021 to 2022, ahead of bituminous coal (up 182.6%).

Incurring the most modest gains were Alabama’s exports of larger automobiles with diesel engines via a 3.2% gain year over year.

More Key Facts about Alabama’s International Trade

Overall, Alabama recorded an -$11.5 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount reflects an 8.4% year-over-year expansion from -$10.6 billion in red ink in 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 Alabama’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2022.

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$3.2 billion (8.7% of Alabama’s total imports)
2. Motor vehicle body parts, accessories: $993.7 million (2.7%)
3. Miscellaneous aircraft parts: $947.8 million (2.6%)
4. Large spark-ignition piston engines: $938.7 million (2.5%)
5. Insulated wiring (vehicle, aircraft): $936.4 million (2.5%)
6. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $811.6 million (2.2%)
7. Motor vehicle parts or accessories: $795.2 million (2.1%)
8. Turbojets: $766.8 million (2.1%)
9. Parts of seats: $653.9 million (1.8%)
10. Brakes, brake parts: $496 million (1.3%)

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 well over two-thirds (71.9%) worth of the total value of products exported from Alabama during 2022.

1. Germany: US$4.3 billion (16.9% of Alabama’s total exports)
2. Canada: $3.8 billion (15%)
3. mainland China: $3.25 billion (12.7%)
4. Mexico: $2.75 billion (10.8%)
5. Japan: $1.04 billion (4.1%)
6. South Korea: $1.03 billion (4%)
7. Brazil: $688.7 million (2.7%)
8. United Kingdom: $540.3 million (2.1%)
9. Belgium: $522.4 million (2%)
10. Australia: $427 million (1.7%)

Alabama’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) bought 25.7% of the overall value of exported goods from the Cotton State.

In comparison, major importers in Asia (mainland China, Japan and South Korea) accounted for 20.7% of total Alabamian exports versus 21% for Europe (Germany, United Kingdom and Belgium).

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:
Department of Numbers, Alabama GDP (dollars shown in real terms). Accessed on April 27, 2023

FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on April 27, 2023

Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on April 27, 2023

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2019 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on April 27, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 27, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 27, 2023

Statista, Real gross domestic product of Alabama. Accessed on April 27, 2023

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Alabama. Accessed on April 27, 2023

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on April 27, 2023

Wikipedia, Alabama. Accessed on April 27, 2023

Wikipedia, List of Alabama Companies. Accessed on April 27, 2023

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on April 27, 2023

World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Montgomery, United States. Accessed on April 27, 2023

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on April 27, 2023