Nicknamed “The Magnolia State” and “The Hospitality State” located in America’s Southern region, Mississippi shipped US$13.9 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2024.

That dollar amount results from an 8.2% increase from $12.8 billion back in 2021.

Year over year, the overall value of good exported from Mississippi fell by -2.3% compared to $14.2 billion for 2023.

Mississippi ranks among America’s 35 most lucrative exporters by state far behind front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois. The value of Mississippi’s exports equals 0.7% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2024.

Mississippi’s exported products represent 8.8% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2024 ($157.5 billion).

The most valuable products shipped from Mississippi are refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel, light oils excluding biodiesel, then coniferous chemical woodpulp and soda. Collectively, those major commodities generated 35.6% of Mississippi’s total export revenues during 2024..

Given Mississippi’s population of 2.94 million people, its total $13.9 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $4,700 for every resident in the Magnolia State. That dollar metric lags the average $4,900 per capita calculated for 2023.

Mississippi’s unemployment rate was 3.9% at the end of August 2025, up from the average 3.3% jobless rate one year earlier per YCharts.

Mississippi’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Refined petroleum oils (not biodiesel): US$3.2 billion (22.7% of total Mississippian exports)
2. Light petroleum oils (not biodiesel): $1.1 billion (8.3%)
3. Chemical woodpulp, soda (coniferous): $637.1 million (4.6%)
4. Medical needles, catheters: $569.5 million (4.1%)
5. Medical, dental or veterinarian instruments: $518.8 million (3.7%)
6. Cotton (uncarded, uncombed): $512.9 million (3.7%)
7. Pigments, titanium dioxide preparations: $505.1 million (3.6%)
8. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $501.5 million (3.6%)
9. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $460.9 million (3.3%)
10. Smaller trucks (piston engine): $191.3 million (1.4%)

Mississippi’s top 10 exports generated almost three-fifths (59.1%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Double-digit gainers among the listed major product categories were exports of smaller trucks powered by piston engine (up 36.9% from 2023) ahead of modems and similar reception or transmission devices (up 36.3%), pigments and titanium dioxide preparations (up 22.2%), then medical needles and catheters (up 15.5%).

The severest decliners among Mississippi’s top 10 export products were medical, dental or veterinarian instruments (down -44.9% from 2023), uncarded and uncombed cotton (down -25.3%), then mid-sized automobiles powered by piston engine (down -15.7%).

More Key Facts about Mississippi’s International Trade

Mississippi racked up an overall -US$7.52 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2024. That international trade dollar amount reflects a 32.5% acceleration from -$5.68 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.

All told, products imported from around the globe into Mississippi amounted to $21.4 billion for 2024, up from $18.4 billion in 2023.

Below are Mississippi’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign goods in 2024.

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$2.3 billion (10.6% of total Mississippian imports)
2. Artificial joints, parts and accessories: $723.8 million (3.4%)
3. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $609.9 million (2.9%)
4. Pig iron (non-alloyed): $598.3 million (2.8%)
5. Refined petroleum oils (not biodiesel): $501.6 million (2.3%)
6. Medical, dental or veterinarian instruments: $446.1 million (2.1%)
7. Miscellaneous seat parts: $384.4 million (1.8%)
8. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $352.6 million (1.6%)
9. Integrated electronic circuits (processors, controllers): $343.1 million (1.6%)
10. Tubular metal, suture needles or parts: $329.2 million (1.5%)

Mississippi has highly negative net exports in the international trade of crude oil, non-alloyed pig iron and artificial joints and parts. In turn, these cashflows indicate Mississippi’s competitive disadvantages under related product categories.

Mississippi’s Major Trading Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased well over two-thirds (70.3%) worth of the total value of products exported from Mississippi during 2024.

1. Canada: US$2.1 billion (15.3% of total Mississippian exports)
2. Panama: $1.7 billion (12.4%)
3. Mexico: $1.6 billion (11.9%)
4. Honduras: $814.1 million (5.9%)
5. Netherlands: $744 million (5.4%)
6. Belgium: $706.2 million (5.1%)
7. Guatemala: $642.2 million (4.6%)
8. mainland China: $591.5 million (4.3%)
9. Japan: $382.8 million (2.8%)
10. Brazil: $371.5 million (2.7%)

Mississippi’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) purchased exceeded one-quarter (27.2%) of the overall value of exported goods from the Magnolia State.

Leading importers in Central America (Panama, Honduras and Guatemala) plus South America (Brazil) accounted for 25.6% of Mississippian export sales in 2024.

Mississippian Export Companies

Just one Mississippi-based corporation ranks among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses.

Headquartered in Laurel, Mississippi is a poultry industry behemoth named Sanderson Farms.

Among America’s three biggest poultry producers, Sanderson Farms’ products are also international trade-related products.
 

Mississippi’s capital is Jackson, a city officially called the City of Jackson and nicknamed “Crossroads of the South”.

See also Oklahoma’s Top 10 Exports, New Jersey’s Top 10 Exports, Missouri’s Top 10 Exports, Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Exports and Virginia’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on September 25, 2025

Forbes, 2021 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 25, 2025

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2021 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on September 25, 2025

IBIS World, State Economic Profile (including GDP). Accessed on September 25, 2025

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 25, 2025

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 25, 2025

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on September 25, 2025

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Mississippi. Accessed on September 25, 2025

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on September 25, 2025

Wikipedia, List of Mississippi Companies. Accessed on September 25, 2025

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on September 25, 2025

Wikipedia, Mississippi. Accessed on September 25, 2025

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on September 25, 2025