Nicknamed “The Magnolia State” and “The Hospitality State” located in America’s Southern region, Mississippi shipped US$16.3 billion worth of products around the globe in 2022.

That dollar amount reflects an 38.1% boost from $11.8 billion three years earlier in 2019.

Year over year, the overall value of good exported from Mississippi accelerated by 26.8% compared to $12.9 billion for 2021.

Mississippi ranks among America’s 35 most lucrative exporters by state far behind front-runners including Texas, California, New York state and Louisiana. The value of Mississippi’s exports equals 0.8% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2022.

Mississippi’s exported products represent 15.6% of the state’s total economic output or Gross Domestic Product in 2022 ($104.7 billion).

The most valuable products shipped from Mississippi are refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel, light oils excluding biodiesel, and instruments used for medical, dental or veterinarian tasks. Collectively, those major commodities generated 38.5% of Mississippi’s total export revenues during 2022..

Given Mississippi’s population of 2.94 million people, its total $16.3 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $5,600 for every resident in the Magnolia State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $4,400 per capita calculated for 2021.

Mississippi’s unemployment rate was 3.9% in January 2023, down from 4.1% one year earlier per YCharts.

Mississippi’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Mississippi global shipments during 2022. 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 excluding biodiesel: US$4.1 billion (24.9% of Mississippi’s total exports)
2. Light petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $1.3 billion (8.2%)
3. Medical/dental/veterinarian instruments: $900.9 million (5.5%)
4. Chemical woodpulp, soda (coniferous): $735.1 million (4.5%)
5. Pigments, titanium dioxide preparations: $681.2 million (4.2%)
6. Cotton (uncarded, uncombed): $676.2 million (4.1%)
7. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $602.2 million (3.7%)
8. Medical needles, catheters: $284 million (1.7%)
9. Petroleum coke (not calcined): $273.1 million (1.7%)
10. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $253.2 million (1.5%)

Mississippi’s top 10 exports accounted for three-fifths (60%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

The fastest gainers among the listed major product categories were exported light petroleum oils excluding biodiesel (up 54.2% from 2021) slightly ahead of refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel (up 54%), then non-calcined petroleum coke (up 44.1%).

There were 3 decliners among Mississippi’s top 10 export products, namely uncombed and uncarded cotton (down -19.3% from 2021), pigments or preparations from titanium dioxide (down -10.7%), and medical needles and catheters (down -2.6%).

More Key Facts about Mississippi’s International Trade

Mississippi incurred an overall -$5.41 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount reflects a -2.7% reduction from -$5.56 billion in red ink for 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.

All told, products imported from around the globe into Mississippi amounted to $21.8 billion for 2022.

Below are Mississippi’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign goods in 2022.

1. Crude petroleum oils: $1.9 billion (8.6% of Mississippi’s total imports)
2. Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $1.3 billion (6.2%)
3. Pig iron (non-alloyed): $801.9 million (3.7%)
4. Petroleum bitumen: $599.1 million (2.8%)
5. Artificial joints, parts and accessories: $480.9 million (2.2%)
6. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $404.1 million (1.9%)
7. Miscellaneous seat parts: $403.2 million (1.9%)
8. Medical/dental/veterinarian instruments: $367.8 million (1.7%)
9. Integrated electronic circuits (processors, controllers): $351.1 million (1.6%)
10. Miscellaneous electronic integrated circuits: $318.5 million (1.5%)

Mississippi has highly negative net exports in the international trade of 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 three-quarters (74.9%) worth of the total value of products exported from Mississippi during 2022.

1. Canada: $2.7 billion (16.2% of Mississippi’s total exports)
2. Mexico: $2.2 billion (13.6%)
3. Panama: $2.1 billion (13.1%)
4. Guatemala: $894.2 million (5.5%)
5. Belgium: $893.6 million (5.5%)
6. Honduras: $891.2 million (5.5%)
7. China: $731.1 million (4.5%)
8. Netherlands: $715.4 million (4.4%)
9. Brazil: $607.8 million (3.7%)
10. Japan: $492.8 million (3%)

Mississippi’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) purchased almost one-third (29.9%) of the overall value of exported goods from the Magnolia State.

Leading importers in Central America (Panama, Guatemala and Honduras) plus South America (Brazil) accounted for 27.7% of Mississippian export sales in 2022.

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 March 14, 2023

Forbes, 2019 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on March 14, 2023

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2019 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on March 14, 2023

IBIS World, State Economic Profile (including GDP). Accessed on March 14, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 14, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on March 14, 2023

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on March 14, 2023

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Mississippi. Accessed on March 14, 2023

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on March 14, 2023

Wikipedia, List of Mississippi Companies. Accessed on March 14, 2023

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on March 14, 2023

Wikipedia, Mississippi. Accessed on March 14, 2023

World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Jackson, United States. Accessed on March 14, 2023

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on March 14, 2023