Nicknamed the “Show Me State” and “Cave State” located in America’s midwestern region, Missouri shipped US$19.3 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2024.

That dollar amount results from a 23.4% advance from $15.7 billion four years earlier in 2021.

Year over year, the overall value of products exported from Missouri increased by 8.7% compared to $17.8 billion during 2023.

Missouri ranks 26th among America’s most lucrative exporters by state, lagging front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois.

The value of Missouri’s exports equals 0.9% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2024.

Missouri’s exported products represent 4.3% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product ($451.2 billion).

Given Missouri’s population of 6.25 million people, its total $19.3 billion in 2024 exports translates to $3,100 for every resident in the Show Me State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $2,900 per capita one year earlier in 2023.

Missouri’s unemployment rate was 4.1% at the end of August 2025, up from 3.7% one year earlier per YCharts.

Missouri’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Small gas-powered trucks (piston engine): US$3.1 billion (16% of total Missourian exports)
2. Bituminous coal (non-agglomerated): $827.3 million (4.3%)
3. Ammunition bombs, mines, parts: $498.7 million (2.6%)
4. Miscellaneous digital processing units: $432.1 million (2.2%)
5. Soybeans: $405.5 million (2.1%)
6. Corn (excluding seed corn): $367.4 million (1.9%)
7. Refined copper cathodes: $362.8 million (1.9%)
8. Chemical industry residues: $289.9 million (1.5%)
9. Heterocyclics with nitrogen hetero-atoms: $286.5 million (1.5%)
10. Hormones (no antibiotic content): $230.2 million (1.2%)

Missouri’s top 10 exports generated over a third (35.1%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Miscellaneous digital processing units represent the fastest grower among Missouri’s top 10 export categories, up by 5,722% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place for improving export sales was ammunition such as bombs, mines and their parts, thanks to a 159.8% boost.

Missouri’s shipments of refined copper cathodes posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 95.8%, ahead of exported non-agglomerated bituminous coal (up 68%) then chemical industry residues (up 41.7%).

There was a trio of decliners among Missouri’s top 10 export products. These were soybeans (down -35.8% from 2023), heterocyclics with nitrogen hetero-atoms (down -1.9%), then exported corn excluding seed corn (down -1.4%).

More Key Facts about Missouri’s International Trade

Missouri incurred an overall -US$4.9 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2024. That dollar amount reflects a -45.5% year-over-year reduction from -$9 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.

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

1. Airplane or helicopter parts: US$1.1 billion (4.4% of total Missourian imports)
2. Single-phase AC electric motors: $437.8 million (1.8%)
3. Semi-trailer truck tractors (diesel): $378.6 million (1.6%)
4. Spark-ignition reciprocating piston engine: $333.3 million (1.4%)
5. Air or gas pumps, compressors, fans or related parts: $318.6 million (1.3%)
6. Larger-thrust turbo-jets: $307.6 million (1.3%)
7. Refrigeration compressors: $283.5 million (1.2%)
8. Automobile body parts, accessories: $254 million (1%)
9. Pipe taps, miscellaneous parts: $238.7 million (1%)
10. Reception, conversion or transmission machines: $221 million (0.9%)

Missouri has negative net exports notably in the international trade of aerospace products and crude petroleum oils. In turn, these cashflows indicate Missouri’s competitive disadvantages under related product categories.

Missouri’s Major International Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that bought four-fifths (79.9%) worth of the total value of products exported from Missouri during 2024.

1. Canada: US$6.5 billion (33.6% of total Missourian exports)
2. Mexico: $4.3 billion (22%)
3. Japan: $843.2 million (4.4%)
4. Germany: $834 million (4.3%)
5. mainland China: $671.4 million (3.5%)
6. India: $543.3 million (2.8%)
7. Brazil: $521.6 million (2.7%)
8. Israel: $483.8 million (2.5%)
9. Netherlands: $419.2 million (2.2%)
10. United Kingdom: $380.7 million (2%)

Missouri’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) purchased 55.6% of the overall value of exported goods from the Show Me State.

In contrast, 8.4% of Missouri’s exports was sent to leading importers in Europe (Germany, Netherlands and the UK).

Another 10.6% was bought by major Missourian trade partners located in Asia (Japan, mainland China and India).

Missourian Export Companies

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

• Arch Coal (coal)
• Caleres (footwear)
• Cerner Corp (health technology devices, hardware, services)
• Leggett & Platt (bedding, furniture, materials, auto seating)
• Monsanto Co. (herbicides, pesticides, biotechnology)
• Olin Corp (ammunition, chemicals, copper alloys)
• O’Reilly Automotive (automotive parts, accessories)
• Peabody Energy Corp (coal)

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

Missouri’s capital is Jefferson City, nicknamed “Jeff”.

See also Oklahoma’s Top 10 Exports, New Jersey’s Top 10 Exports, Oregon’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 21, 2025

Forbes, 2021 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 21, 2025

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2021 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on September 21, 2025

IBIS World, Missouri Economic Overview (gross domestic product, population). Accessed on September 21, 2025

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 21, 2025

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 21, 2025

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on September 21, 2025

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Missouri. Accessed on September 21, 2025

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on September 21, 2025

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in Missouri. Accessed on September 21, 2025

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on September 21, 2025

Wikipedia, Missouri. Accessed on September 21, 2025

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on September 21, 2025