Nicknamed the “Hawkeye State” located in America’s midwestern region, Iowa shipped US$16.2 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a -10.3% slowdown from $18.04 billion four years earlier in 2022.

Year over year, the overall value of Iowa’s exported goods fell by -5% compared to $17.1 billion for 2024.

Iowa ranks as America’s 30th most lucrative exporter by state well behind front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois.

The value of Iowa’s exports equaled 0.7% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2025, down from 0.8% in the prior year.

Iowa’s exported products represent 5.9% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2025 ($274 billion).

Given Iowa’s population of 3.27 million people, its total US$16.2 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $4,950 for every resident in the Hawkeye State. That dollar metric lags the average $5,250 per capita for 2024.

Iowa’s unemployment rate was 3.7% at the end of June 2025, up from 3% in June 2025 per YCharts.

Iowa’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Corn: US$1.3 billion (8.1% of total Iowan exports)
2. Large tractors: $868.5 million (5.4%)
3. Pork (frozen): $640.5 million (4%)
4. Ethyl alcohol, other denatured spirits: $582.3 million (3.6%)
5. Herbicides: $459.3 million (2.8%)
6. Solid residues including soya bean oilcake: $444.9 million (2.7%)
7. Roasted molybdenum ores, concentrates: $430.7 million (2.7%)
8. Pork (fresh or chilled): $320.6 million (2%)
9. Track-laying tractors: $285.4 million (1.8%)
10. Soya beans: $277.5 million (1.7%)

Iowa’s top 10 exports accounted for over a third (34.7%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Corn represents the fastest grower among Iowa’s top 10 export categories, up by 46.5% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales were Iowan exports of denatured spirits such as ethyl alcohol (up 38.9%) ahead of roasted molybdenum ores and concentrates (up 22.7%).

The severest decliners among Iowa’s top 10 export products were exports of fresh or chilled port (down -21.7% from 2024), soya beans (down -15.2%), frozen pork (down -12.4%) then track-laying tractors (down -10.4%).

More Key Facts about Iowa’s International Trade

Iowa generated an overall US$4.2 billion surplus exporting and importing products during 2025. That dollar amount reflects an -8.9% decline from $4.6 billion in black 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 Iowa’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2025.

1. Miscellaneous digital processing units: US$635.7 million (5.3% of total Iowan imports)
2. Semi-trailer road tractors: $578.8 million (4.8%)
3. Anhydrous ammonia: $312.5 million (2.6%)
4. Road tractor bodies: $287.9 million (2.4%)
5. Aluminum alloys (unwrought): $246.3 million (2.1%)
6. Miscellaneous piston engines: $227.1 million (1.9%)
7. Potassium chloride: $194 million (1.6%)
8. Parts, accessories for cranes or derricks: $191.7 million (1.6%)
9. Small live swine: $159.2 million (1.3%)
10. Nucleic acids, salts: $151.5 million (1.3%)

Beyond the above list of imported goods, Iowa has positive net exports in the international trade of agricultural-related products led by large tractors, corn, pork, and soya beans. In turn, these cashflows indicate Iowa’s competitive advantages under those product categories.

Iowa’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased about four-fifths (79.9%) worth of the total value of products exported from Iowa during 2025.

1. Canada: US$4.9 billion (30% of total Iowan exports)
2. Mexico: $3.2 billion (19.9%)
3. Japan: $834.2 million (5.2%)
4. mainland China: $755.8 million (4.7%)
5. Brazil: $695.7 million (4.3%)
6. Australia: $632.1 million (3.9%)
7. Netherlands: $508.8 million (3.1%)
8. Germany: $475 million (2.9%)
9. United Kingdom: $455.9 million (2.8%)
10. South Korea: $415.3 million (2.6%)

Iowa’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) bought half (50%) of the overall value of exported goods from the Hawkeye State.

In contrast, 12.4% of Iowa’s exported goods was bought by top importers in Asia (Japan, mainland China and South Korea).

Another 8.9% was sent to leading importers based in Europe (Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom).

Iowan Export Companies

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

• Casey’s General Stores (convenience stores, fuel)
• HNI Corp (office furniture, fireplaces)
• Principal Financial Group (investment management, insurance)
• Rockwell Collins (avionics/technology systems, services)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the products or services which each business sells, some of which are significantly engaged in international trade.
 

Iowa’s capital is Des Moines, a city originally named Fort Des Moines.

See also Nevada’s Top 10 Exports, Idaho’s Top 10 Exports, Kentucky’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 April 5, 2026

Forbes, 2020 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on April 5, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2020 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on April 5, 2026

IBIS World, Iowa Economic Profile (gross domestic product, population). Accessed on April 5, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 5, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 5, 2026

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on April 5, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Iowa. Accessed on April 5, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on April 5, 2026

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in Iowa. Accessed on April 5, 2026

Wikipedia, Iowa. Accessed on April 5, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on April 5, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on April 5, 2026