The dollar amount for the leading export states reflects a 5.5% increase since 2018 and a 24.3% acceleration from 2020 to 2021.
To give further perspective, America’s total revenues from exporting products rose a comparable 5.3% from 2018 to 2021. Total US export sales gained a slightly lesser 22.8% since 2020.
America’s top 5 export states–Texas, California, New York, Louisiana and Illinois–collected 44.7% of all American export sales in 2021.
In addition to showcasing the major 20 export states, presented below are the 10 most valuable exports from each of the 5 main export states determined by the overall value of products exported in 2021. Please also remember to scroll down to the section entitled Biggest Export by Major American Exporting State for a snapshot of the biggest export for each of the 20 top US exporting states.
America’s Top 20 Export States
Below are the top 20 American states that exported the highest dollar value worth of products during 2021. Combined, these export-leading states represent over four-fifths of the nation’s total exports.
- Texas: US$376.3 billion (21.5% of US total)
- California: $174.9 billion (10%)
- New York: $90.1 billion (5.1%)
- Louisiana: $76.4 billion (4.4%)
- Illinois: $66 billion (3.8%)
- Michigan: $56 billion (3.2%)
- Florida: $55.7 billion (3.2%)
- Washington: $53.7 billion (3.1%)
- Ohio: $50.7 billion (2.9%)
- New Jersey: $49.4 billion (2.8%)
- Pennsylvania: $44.7 billion (2.5%)
- Georgia: $42.4 billion (2.4%)
- Indiana: $41.2 billion (2.3%)
- Tennessee: $34.7 billion (2%)
- North Carolina: $33.5 billion (1.9%)
- Massachusetts: $32.4 billion (1.8%)
- Oregon: $29.9 billion (1.7%)
- South Carolina: $29.7 billion (1.7%)
- Kentucky: $29.6 billion (1.7%)
- Wisconsin: $24.8 billion (1.4%)
Among America’s 20 major export states, the strongest growers were New York state (up 37.4% from 2020), Texas (up 36.1%), Washington (up 30.7%), Louisiana (up 30.3%), Massachusetts (up 30.2%), New Jersey (up 30%) and Michigan (up 25.2%).
South Carolina was the sole year-over-year decliner among the top 20 US export states weighed down by a flatlining -2.1% drop.
In addition, please peruse the Most Valuable Exported Product by State section further down this article.
Top 10 Exports from Texas
- Crude petroleum oils: US$62.4 billion (16.6% of total Texan exports)
- Light petroleum oils: $29.4 billion (7.8%)
- Miscellaneous petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $24 billion (6.4%)
- Liquified propane: $18.6 billion (4.6%)
- Integrated circuits (processors/controllers): $11.2 billion (3%)
- Natural gas (liquid): $11 billion (2.9%)
- Natural gas (gaseous state): $10.4 billion (2.8%)
- Computer parts and accessories: $8.2 billion (2.2%)
- Aircraft including engines, parts: $7.3 billion (1.9%)
- Machinery for making semi-conductors: $6.4 billion (1.7%)
The top 10 exports from Texas accounted for half (50.2%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.
Natural gas in gaseous state represents the fastest grower among the top 10 Texan export categories, up by 160.5% from 2020 to 2021. In second place for improving export sales was natural gas in liquid form which rose 156.8%. Third-fastest was a 97.9% gain for liquid propane exported from Texas, ahead of the 88.6% improvement in international sales for light petroleum oils and 46.2% for exports of Texan crude oil.
The only single-digit year-over-year advance among Texas’ top 10 export products was the 6.4% increase for processors and controllers used in electronic integrated circuits.
Top 10 Exports from California
Below are the top 10 exports from California during 2021. Within parenthesis is the percentage of each export category compared to the total value of all Californian exports.
- Machinery for making semi-conductors: $6.2 billion (3.6% of California’s total exports)
- Aircraft including engines, parts: $5.5 billion (3.2%)
- Diamonds (unmounted): $4.5 billion (2.6%)
- Integrated circuits (excluding processors/controllers): $4.2 billion (2.4%)
- Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $4.05 billion (2.3%)
- Machinery parts or accessories for making semi-conductors: $3.9 billion (2.2%)
- Other composite diagnostic or laboratory reagents: $3.7 billion (2.1%)
- Electric vehicles: US$3.46 billion (2%)
- Computer parts and accessories: $3.44 billion (2%)
- Shelled almonds $3.3 billion (1.9%)
California’s top 10 exports represent almost a quarter (24.2%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.
Diamonds became the fastest grower among California’s top 10 export categories, up by 40.5% from 2020 to 2021. In second place for improving export sales were computer parts and accessories thanks to a 39.2% gain. Shipments of miscellaneous composite diagnostic or laboratory reagents posted the third-fastest improvement via a 29.7% increase in value.
There was a pair of decliners among California’s top 10 export products namely electric vehicles (down -39.4%) and fresh or dried shelled almonds (down -1.7%).
Top 10 Exports from New York
Below are the top 10 exports from New York State during 2021. Within parenthesis is the percentage of each export category compared to the total value of all exports from New York.
- Gold (unwrought): US$14.7 billion (16.3% of New York’s total exports)
- Diamonds (unmounted): $9.6 billion (10.6%)
- Hand-drawn paintings, drawings: $4.5 billion (5%)
- Jewelry articles clad in precious metal: $3.9 billion (4.3%)
- Rubies, sapphires, emeralds: $1.3 billion (1.4%)
- Silver, unwrought: $1.137 billion (1.3%)
- Parts of assembly machinery: $1.135 billion (1.3%)
- Aircraft including engines, parts: $1.06 billion (1.2%)
- Integrated circuits (processors/controllers): $1.01 billion (1.1%)
- Original sculptures, statues: $911.8 billion (1%)
New York’s top 10 exports represent 43.4% of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.
The fastest-growing exports from New York in 2021 were parts of assembly machinery via a 174% gain, ahead of unwrought gold (up 154.4% from 2020), rubies or sapphires and emeralds (up 73.4%), then unwrought silver (up 73.4%) and unmounted diamonds (up 44.5%).
The lone decliner among New York’s top 10 export products was the aircraft including engines and parts. That product category fell by -1.1% compared to 2020.
Top 10 Exports from Louisiana
Below are the top 10 exports from Louisiana during 2021. Within parenthesis is the percentage of each export category compared to the total value of all exports from Louisiana.
- Natural gas (liquid): $13.7 billion (18% of Louisiana’s total exports)
- Soya beans: $11.9 billion (15.5%)
- Corn: $9.8 billion (12.8%)
- Miscellaneous petroleum oils: $9.2 billion (12.1%)
- Crude petroleum oils: $4.8 billion (6.3%)
- Light petroleum oils: $3.7 billion (4.8%)
- Solid residues including soya bean oil-cake: $2.4 billion (3.1%)
- Wheat (excluding durum): $910.4 million (1.2%)
- Miscellaneous oils, coal tar distillates: $812.4 million (1.1%)
- Petroleum coke, uncalcined: $706.3 million (0.0%)
Louisiana’s top 10 exports accounted for over three-quarters (75.8%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.
Miscellaneous oils including coal tar distillates represents the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 173.4% from 2020 to 2021. In second place for improving export sales was uncalcined petroleum coke which appreciated by 117.9%. Louisiana’s shipments of corn posted the third-fastest triple-digit gain in value thanks to its 103.6% advance.
The sole year-over-year drop among Louisiana’s top 10 export product categories was for soya beans which was dragged down by a -4.8% reduction from 2020.
Top 10 Exports from Illinois
Below are the top 10 exports from Illinois during 2021. Within parenthesis is the percentage of each export category compared to the total value of all goods exported from Illinois.
- Miscellaneous medications: US$3.2 billion (4.8% of Illinois’ total exports)
- Light petroleum oils: $2.4 billion (3.6%)
- Off-highway dumper trucks: $1.8 billion (2.7%)
- Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $1.4 billion (2.2%)
- Human blood, animal blood preparations: $1.28 billion (1.9%)
- Antisera, other blood fractions: $1.24 billion (1.9%)
- Brewing or distilling dregs and waste: $1 billion (1.5%)
- Corn: $952.5 million (1.4%)
- Vehicles powered by electric motor only: $853.9 million (1.3%)
- Aircraft including engines, parts: $846.6 million (1.3%)
Illinois’ top 10 exports represent more than one-fifth (22.7%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.
The fastest-growing export from Illinois from 2020 to 2021 were vehicles powered by electric motor only, thanks to a 4,152% advance.
Other top year-over-year improvements were for Illinoisan exports of light petroleum oils (up 240.7%), corn (up 99.2%), human blood plus animal blood preparations (up 85.3%), and the leading miscellaneous medications packaged for retail sale product category (up 57.5%).
There was a pair of year-over-year decliners among Illinois’ top 10 export products. These were antisera and other blood fractions (down -19.8% from 2020), as well as modems and similar reception or transmission devices (down -4.9%).
Most Valuable Exported Product by Major American Export State
The following list showcases the biggest export product for each of America’s top 20 export states. The list itself is sorted in descending order starting with the states that exported the highest value in overall goods during 2021.
- Texas: crude petroleum oils
- California: machinery for making semi-conductors
- New York: unwrought gold
- Louisiana: liquid natural gas
- Illinois: miscellaneous medications
- Michigan: small trucks (piston engine)
- Florida: aircraft including engines, other parts
- Washington: aircraft including engines, other parts
- Ohio: aircraft including engines, other parts
- New Jersey: unwrought rhodium
- Pennsylvania: miscellaneous medications
- Georgia: aircraft including engines, other parts
- Indiana: miscellaneous medications
- Tennessee: medical, dental, veterinarian instruments
- North Carolina: immunological products
- Massachusetts: human vaccines
- Oregon: integrated circuits (processors/controllers)
- South Carolina: mid-sized automobiles (piston engine)
- Kentucky: aircraft including engines, other parts
- Wisconsin: human vaccines
In general, the most lucrative exported commodity for the above major exporting states is aircraft which includes engines and other parts. Five of these American states have aircraft including engines and other parts as their most valuable export.
Miscellaneous medications is the most valuable exported product for 3 top states while exported human vaccines were the sales leaders for 2 other states.
See also Florida’s Top 10 Exports, Michigan’s Top 10 Exports, Alabama’s Top 10 Exports, Utah’s Top 10 Exports and Hawaii’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on October 18, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 18, 2022
USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on October 18, 2022
