Nicknamed “The First State” and “The Diamond State” located in America’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions, Delaware shipped US$4.75 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2024.

That dollar amount flatlines via a 0.5% gain from $4.73 billion four years earlier in 2021.

Year over year, the overall value of Delaware’s exported goods slowed by -2.7% compared to $4.88 billion in 2023.

Delaware ranks as America’s 43rd biggest exporter by state far behind front-runners Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois.

The value of Delaware’s exports equals 0.2% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2024, same as 0.2% one year prior.

Delaware’s exported products represent 4.6% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2024 ($103.3 billion).

Given Delaware’s population of 1,051,917 people, its total US$4.75 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $4,500 for every resident in the First State. That dollar metric lags the average $4,700 per capita in 2023.

Delaware’s unemployment rate was 4.5% at the end of September 2025, up from 3.6% one year prior per YCharts.

Delaware’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Miscellaneous medications for retail: US$385.6 million (8.1% of Delaware’s total exports)
2. Civilian aircraft, full or engines or other parts: $290.4 million (6.1%)
3. Refined petroleum oils not biodiesel: $181.8 million (3.8%)
4. Machinery parts: $155.6 million (3.3%)
5. Parts for filtering or purifying machines: $145.3 million (3.1%)
6. Mass spectrometers: $143.7 million (3%)
7. Miscellaneous items made from plastic: $123.6 million (2.6%)
8. Direct current (DC) motors, generators: $118.1 million (2.5%)
9. Ammunition including bombs, mines: $113.8 million (2.4%)
10. Fried or dried bananas: $102.2 million (2.2%)

Delaware’s top 10 exports surpassed two-thirds (37.1%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Refined petroleum oils not biodiesel represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 280.8% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place for improving export sales were machinery parts via a 46.1% advance.

Delawarean exports of parts for filtering or purifying machines (up 4.3% from 2023) also posted a gain.

The severest decliners among Delaware’s top 10 export products were ammunition including bombs and mines (down -43.7% from 2023) and direct current motors and generators (down -41.4%).

More Key Facts about Delaware’s International Trade

Overall, Delaware incurred a -US$5.9 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2024. That dollar amount reflects a 2.5% increase from -$5.7 billion in red ink for 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 Delaware’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2024.

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$3.3 billion (30.8% of Delaware’s total imports)
2. Photovoltaic cells in modules, panels: $555.2 million (5.2%)
3. Medications containing cortex hormones: $536.1 million (5%)
4. Fried or dried bananas: $368.5 million (3.5%)
5. Lead-acid batteries: $347.9 million (3.3%)
6. Heterocyclics including nucleic acids, salts: $268.7 million (2.5%)
7. Refined petroleum oils not biodiesel: $165.8 million (1.6%)
8. Electric individual-function machinery, appliances $128.5 million (1.2%)
9. Miscellaneous medications for retail: $104.2 million (1%)
10. Lithium-ion batteries: $101 million (1%)

Delaware has highly negative net exports in the international trade of crude petroleum oils. In turn, these cashflows indicate Delaware’s competitive disadvantages under this product category.

Delaware’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased over two-thirds (68%) worth of the total value of products exported from Delaware during 2024.

1. Canada: US$835.6 million (17.6% of Delaware’s total exports)
2. mainland China: $532.4 million (11.2%)
3. Mexico: $399 million (8.4%)
4. South Korea: $270 million (5.7%)
5. United Arab Emirates: $261.8 million (5.5%)
6. Germany: $235.2 million (5%)
7. United Kingdom: $213.1 million (4.5%)
8. Taiwan: $165.4 million (3.5%)
9. Japan: $160.4 million (3.4%)
10. Belgium: $159.5 million (3.4%)

Delaware’s top trade partners in Asia (mainland China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan) bought 23.8% of the overall value of goods exported from the First State.

That percentage compares to 26% for North American customers (Canada and Mexico), and 12.8% for leading buyers of Delaware’s exports in Europe (Germany, United Kingdom and Belgium).

Delawarean Export Companies

Two Delaware-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Those examples are listed below.

• DuPont (chemicals)
• Navient Corp (servicing/collecting student loans)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the products or services which each business sells. DuPont is an international trade leader in chemicals-related sales.
 

Delaware’s capital is Dover, a city literally nicknamed Capital of the First State.

See also North Dakota’s Top 10 Exports, Montana’s Top 10 Exports, Wisconsin’s Top 10 Exports, Arizona’s Top 10 Exports and Vermont’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on January 29, 2026

Forbes, 2021 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on January 29, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2021 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on January 29, 2026

IBIS World, Real gross domestic product of Delaware. Accessed on January 29, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 29, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on January 29, 2026

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on January 29, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Delaware. Accessed on January 29, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on January 29, 2026

Wikipedia, Delaware. Accessed on January 29, 2026

Wikipedia, List of Delaware Companies. Accessed on January 29, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on January 29, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on January 29, 2026