That dollar amount results from a 12.8% increase from $4.1 billion four years earlier in 2022.
Year over year, the overall value of Idaho’s exports rose 7.4% compared to $4.3 billion in 2024.
Idaho ranks as America’s 10th smallest exporters by state, badly lagging the largest state competitors including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana, Illinois and Florida.
The value of Idaho’s exports equals 0.2% of all United States’ overall exported products for 2025.
Based on research from IBIS World, Idaho’s exported products represent 4.7% of the state’s total economic output or Gross Domestic Product in 2025 ($85.7 billion).
Given Idaho’s population of over 2 million people, its total US$4.6 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $2,275 for every resident in the Gem State. That dollar metric surpasses the average $2,150 per capita in 2024.
Idaho’s unemployment rate was 3.6% at the end of July 2025, same as 3.6% one year earlier per YCharts.
Idaho’s Top 10 Exports
The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Idaho global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Idaho.
Figures are shown at the more granular six-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, for more precise product identification.
- Solar power photovoltaic semi-conductor devices: US$469.5 million (10.2% of total Idahoan exports)
- Lead ores, concentrates: $301.3 million (6.5%)
- Miscellaneous items made with precious metals: $235.3 million (5.1%)
- Photographic plates, films: $207.8 million (4.5%)
- Ammonium dihydrogenorthophosphates: $193.9 million (4.2%)
- Live cattle not for purebred breeding: $183.6 million (4%)
- Electronic apparatus controls: $131 million (2.8%)
- Frozen prepared potatoes: $127 million (2.8%)
- Fresh cheese, whey, cheese curd: $88 million (1.9%)
- Milk albumin: $80.4 million (1.7%)
Idaho’s top 10 exports accounted for 43.8% of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.
The strongest gainers from 2024 to 2025 among Idaho’s top 10 export categories were fresh uncured cheese or whey or curd (up 42.4%), live cattle not for purebred breeding (up 31.4%), electronic apparatus controls (up 28.6%) then lead ores and concentrates (up 23.4%).
There was a pair of year-over-year decliners among Idaho’s top 10 export products namely frozen prepared potatoes no vinegar (down -16% from 2024) then photographic plates and films (down -14%).
More Key Facts about Idaho’s International Trade
Idaho incurred an overall -US$2.52 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2025. That dollar amount reflects a -45.9% decline from -$4.65 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.
In total, Idahoan imports amounted to $7.1 billion for 2025.
Below are Idaho’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2025.
- Computer parts, accessories: US$1.9 billion (27.1% of total Idahoan imports)
- Solid-state semiconductor storage devices: $1.1 billion (15.9%)
- Machinery for making semi-conductors: $381.2 million (5.4%)
- Electronic integrated circuits (memories): $289.3 million (4.1%)
- Urea: $168.8 million (2.4%)
- Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $135.9 million (1.9%)
- Parts of machinery for making semi-conductors: $113.2 million (1.6%)
- Frozen prepared potatoes: $92.4 million (1.3%)
- Solar power photovoltaic semi-conductor devices: $87.5 million (1.2%)
- Colza seed oilcake, solid residues: $81.3 million (1.1%)
Historically, Idaho generates highly negative net exports in the international trade of technology-related products notably computer parts or accessories and electronic circuitry components. In turn, these cashflows indicate Idaho’s competitive disadvantages under those product categories.
Idaho’s Major Trade Partners
The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased 82.4% worth of the total value of products exported from Idaho during 2025.
- Canada: US$1.8 billion (38.5% of total Idahoan exports)
- Taiwan: $417.4 million (9.1%)
- Mexico: $290.9 million (6.3%)
- Singapore: $290.7 million (6.3%)
- Malaysia: $275.9 million (6%)
- Japan: $213 million (4.6%)
- South Korea: $161.4 million (3.5%)
- mainland China: $140.9 million (3.1%)
- Netherlands: $121.6 million (2.6%)
- Brazil: $107.9 million (2.3%)
Idaho’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) bought 44.8% of the overall value of goods exported from the Gem State.
That percentage compares with 32.6% for Idaho’s top customers in Asia (Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and mainland China).
Idahoan Export Companies
Two Idaho-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Those two examples are listed below.
- Boise Cascade (lumber, building supplies)
- Micron Technology (semiconductor devices, flash memory, solid-state drives)
Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services which each business sells.
Idaho’s capital is Boise, nicknamed “The City of Trees”.
See also Nevada’s Top 10 Exports, New Jersey’s Top 10 Exports, Missouri’s Top 10 Exports, Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Exports and Mississippi’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on May 12, 2026
Forbes, 2022 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 12, 2026
GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2022 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on May 12, 2026
IBIS World, Idaho Economic Profile (gross domestic product, population). Accessed on May 12, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 12, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 12, 2026
State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on May 12, 2026
United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Idaho. Accessed on May 12, 2026
USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on May 12, 2026
Wikipedia, Idaho. Accessed on May 12, 2026
Wikipedia, List of companies based in Idaho. Accessed on May 12, 2026
Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on May 12, 2026
YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on May 12, 2026