Nicknamed “The Golden State” stretching along America’s west coast within the Pacific Region, California shipped US$188.4 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a 1.1% upturn from $186.3 billion back in 2022.

Year over year, the overall value of exports from California grew by 2.4% compared to $183.9 billion one year earlier during 2024.

California is America’s second-biggest exporter by state behind only oil-rich Texas, but well ahead of New York state, Louisiana and Illinois. The value of California’s exports equals 8.6% of the United States’ overall exported product sales for 2025 ($2.178 trillion). That percentage is down from 8.9% for 2024.

California’s exported products also represent 4.6% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2025 ($4.1 trillion). That percentage is an upturn from 4.5% one year ago.

The most valuable products shipped from California are computer parts or accessories, civilian aircraft either fully assembled or aircraft engines or other parts, then voice, image and data machines. Combined, those commodities generated 12.7% of California’s total export sales during 2025..

Given California’s population of 39.5 million people, its total US$188.4 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $4,750 for every resident in “The Golden State”–up from $4,650 per capita in 2024.

California’s unemployment rate was 5.5% at December 2025 same as one year earlier, per YCharts.

California’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in California global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from California.

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

1. Computer parts, accessories: US$11.4 billion (6% of California’s total exports)
2. Civilian aircraft, full or engines or other parts: $7.2 billion (3.8%)
3. Voice, image and data machines: $5.4 billion (2.9%)
4. Digital computer systems: $4.5 billion (2.4%)
5. Shelled almonds: $4.4 billion (2.3%)
6. Miscellaneous digital computer processing units: $4 billion (2.1%)
7. Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $3.3 billion (1.7%)
8. Diagnostic or laboratory reagents: $2.8 billion (1.5%)
9. Machinery parts, accessories for making semi-conductors: $2.54 billion (1.3%)
10. Medical, dental or veterinarian appliances: $2.51 billion (1.3%)

California’s top 10 export product categories represent over one-quarter (25.5%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Digital computer systems represent the fastest grower among California’s top 10 export categories, up by 102.2% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales were computer parts and accessories, thanks to a 85.3% acceleration.

Shipments of miscellaneous digit processing units posted the third-fastest improvement via a 38.5% increase in value compared to 2024.

The severest decliners among California’s top 10 export products were parts or accessories for machinery for making semi-conductors (down -29.8% from 2024) and refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel (down -5.4%).

More Key Facts about California’s Exports

Overall, California incurred a -US$299.8 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2025. That dollar amount reflects a -2.5% year-over-year reduction from -$307.5 billion in red ink for 2024.

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 California’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2022.

1. Computer parts, accessories: US$41.5 billion (8.5% of California’s total imports)
2. Digital computer processing units: $23.5 billion (4.8%)
3. Crude oil: $20.8 billion (4.3%)
4. Digital computer processing units: $17.9 billion (3.7%)
5. Voice, image and data machines: $17.6 billion (3.6%)
6. Medium-sized automobiles (piston engine): $14.8 billion (3%)
7. Smartphones: $8.4 billion (1.7%)
8. Lithium ion batteries: $7.7 billion (1.6%)
9. Color television reception equipment: $7.2 billion (1.5%)
10. Solid-state semiconductor storage devices: $6.4 billion (1.3%)

California has highly negative net exports in the international trade of computer hardware and crude petroleum oils. In turn, these cashflows indicate California’s strong competitive disadvantages under related product categories thus highlighting the strong impact of foreign-made goods on California’s global balance sheet.

California’s Major Trading Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased nearly two-thirds (64.7%) worth of the total value of products exported from California during 2025.

1. Mexico: US$34.9 billion (18.5% of California’s total exports)
2. Canada: $17 billion (9%)
3. Taiwan: $14.3 billion (7.6%)
4. Japan: $11 billion (5.8%)
5. mainland China: $10.3 billion (5.5%)
6. South Korea: $9.3 billion (4.9%)
7. Netherlands: $8.4 billion (4.5%)
8. Germany: $6 billion (3.2%)
9. United Kingdom: $5.6 billion (3%)
10. Singapore: $5.3 billion (2.8%)

California’s top trade partners in North America, Canada and Mexico, generated well over one-quarter (27.5%) of the overall value of exported goods from the state. That percentage trails the 26.6% for top Asian countries (Taiwan, Japan, mainland China, South Korea and Singapore) that are among the leading customers for exports from California.

California Export Companies

Fifty-three of California-headquartered corporations rank among America’s leading companies showcased in the Fortune 500 listing. Selected examples are listed below, sorted by highest revenues.

• Apple Inc. (computer hardware, software)
• McKesson Corporation (pharmaceuticals, medical technology)
• Chevron Corporation (petroleum, natural gas, petrochemicals)
• Wells Fargo (multinational financial services)
• Alphabet Inc (technology, autonomous cars, software)
• Intel Corporation (microprocessors, chips, mobile phones, flash memories)
• Hewlett-Packard (computer hardware, software)
• Cisco Systems (telecom equipment, networking hardware)
• Oracle (servers, workstations, storage devices, middleware)
• Gilead Sciences (pharmaceuticals, biotechnology products)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related product categories in which each business deals.

 

California’s capital city is Sacramento, nicknamed “The City of Trees” and “Sactown”.

See also America’s Top 20 Export States, United States Top 10 Exports and Top United States Trade Balances

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on February 26, 2026

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on February 26, 2026

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IBIS World, State Economic Profile (including GDP). Accessed on February 26, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 26, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on February 26, 2026

Los Angeles Times, The new Fortune 500 list is out. These California companies made the cut. Accessed on February 26, 2026

United States Census Bureau, Foreign Trade (State by 6-Digit HS Code). Accessed on February 26, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: California. Accessed on February 26, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on February 26, 2026

Wikipedia, California. Accessed on February 26, 2026

Wikipedia, Economy of California (GDP). Accessed on February 26, 2026

Wikipedia, List of California Companies. Accessed on February 26, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on February 26, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on February 26, 2026