Nicknamed the “Pelican State” or the “Bayou State” and found in America’s southeastern region, Louisiana shipped US$122.2 billion worth of products around the globe in 2022.

That dollar amount reflects a 91.4% increase from $63.9 billion four years earlier in 2019.

Year over year, the overall value of Louisianian exports accelerated by 60.1% compared to $76.4 billion during 2021.

Louisiana was America’s third-biggest exporter by state behind front-runners Texas and California. The value of Louisiana’s exports equals 5.9% of United States’ overall exported products for 2022, up from 4.4% for 2021.

Based on research from Statista, Louisiana’s exported products represent 56.3% of the state’s total economic output or real Gross Domestic Product in 2022 ($217.2 billion).

Given Louisiana’s population of 4.59 million people, its total $122.2 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $26,600 for every resident in the Bayou State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $16,500 per capita one year earlier during 2021.

Louisiana’s unemployment rate was 3.6% at March 2023, down from 7.6% in February 2022 per YCharts.

Louisiana’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Louisianian global shipments during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Louisiana.

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

Louisiana’s biggest export is a soya beans, one of America’s most valuable exported food products.

1. Natural gas (liquid): US$32 billion (26.2% of Louisiana’s total exports)
2. Miscellaneous petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $21.7 billion (17.8%)
3. Soya beans: $16.7 billion (13.7%)
4. Corn: $9.4 billion (7.7%)
5. Crude petroleum oils: $7.4 billion (6%)
6. Light petroleum oils: $5.3 billion (4.3%)
7. Solid residues including soya bean oil-cake: $2.7 billion (2.2%)
8. Wheat (excluding durum): $1.5 billion (1.2%)
9. Petroleum coke, uncalcined: $1.4 billion (1.1%)
10. Coal tar distillates: $1.05 billion (0.9%)

Louisiana’s top 10 exports accounted for over four-fifths (81.1%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Miscellaneous petroleum oils excluding biodiesel represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 136.2% from 2021 to 2022.

In second place for improving export sales was liquid natural gas which appreciated by 133.2%. Louisiana’s shipments of uncalcined petroleum coke posted the third-fastest gain in value thanks to its 93.2% advance.

The sole year-over-year drop among Louisiana’s top 10 export product categories was for corn exports, dragged down by a -4.3% reduction from 2021.

More Key Facts about Louisiana’s International Trade

Louisiana recorded an $85.1 billion trade surplus exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount results from an 87.5% acceleration from $45.4 billion in black ink one year earlier in 2021.

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

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$3.2 billion (8.7% of Louisiana’s total imports)
2. Vehicle body parts or accessories: $993.7 million (2.7%)
3. Aircraft parts: $947.8 million (2.6%)
4. Spark-ignition piston engines: $938.7 million (2.5%)
5. Insulated wiring sets: $936.4 million (2.5%)
6. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $811.6 million (2.2%)
7. Automotive parts or accessories: $795.2 million (2.1%)
8. Turbo-jets: $766.8 million (2.1%)
9. Parts of seats: $653.9 million (1.8%)
10. Breaks and servo-breaks, parts: $496 million (1.3%)

Louisiana has highly positive net exports in the international trade of liquid natural gas, petroleum oils, soya beans and corn. In turn, these cashflows indicate Louisiana’s strong competitive advantages under these product categories competing on the global marketplace.

Louisiana’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased approaching three-fifths (56.5%) worth of the total value of products exported from Louisiana during 2022.

1. mainland China: US$15.4 billion (12.6% of Louisiana’s total exports)
2. Mexico: $9.3 billion (7.6%)
3. United Kingdom: $7.1 billion (5.8%)
4. Netherlands: $6.7 billion (5.5%)
5. Brazil: $5.8 billion (4.8%)
6. Japan: $5.4 billion (4.4%)
7. France: $5.4 billion (4.4%)
8. South Korea: $4.9 billion (4%)
9. Canada: $4.8 billion (3.9%)
10. Chile: $4.3 billion (3.5%)

Louisiana’s top trade partners in Asia (mainland China, Japan and South Korea) imported a combined 21% of the overall value for goods shipped from the Bayou State in 2022.

This compares with a much smaller 11.6% worth of exported goods sent from Louisiana to its North American trade partners, Mexico and Canada. Another 15.6% was sold to leading importers in Europe.

Louisianian Export Companies

Four of the corporations located in Louisiana rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses.

• Albemarle Corporation (specialty chemicals)
• CenturyLink (telecommunications)
• Entergy Corp (electricity, natural gas)
• POOLCORP (swimming pool supplies)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products (or services) in which each business deals.
 

Louisiana’s capital is Baton Rouge, the city nicknamed “B.R.” and the “Red Stick” (the latter a translation for le bâton rouge in French).

See also Alabama’s Top 10 Exports, Florida’s Top 10 Exports, California’s Top 10 Exports, Top 10 Exports from Texas and Hawaii’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
Department of Numbers, Louisiana GDP (dollars shown in real terms). Accessed on April 28, 2023

FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on April 28, 2023

Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on April 28, 2023

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2019 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on April 28, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 28, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 28, 2023

Statista, Real gross domestic product of Louisiana. Accessed on April 28, 2023

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Louisiana. Accessed on April 28, 2023

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on April 28, 2023

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in Louisiana. Accessed on April 28, 2023

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on April 28, 2023

Wikipedia, Louisiana. Accessed on April 28, 2023

World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Baton Rouge, United States. Accessed on April 28, 2023

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on April 28, 2023