Nicknamed the “Show Me State” and “Cave State” located in America’s midwestern region, Missouri shipped US$19.6 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2025.

That dollar amount results from an 18% increase from $16.6 billion four years earlier in 2022.

Year over year, the overall value of products exported from Missouri slowed to a 1.1% gain compared to $19.4 billion during 2024.

Missouri ranks 27th among America’s most lucrative exporters by state, lagging front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana, Illinois and Florida.

The value of Missouri’s exports equals 0.9% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2025 (US$2.178 trillion).

Missouri’s exported products represent 4.2% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product ($468.5 billion). That percentage falls below the 4.3% for the prior year.

Given Missouri’s population exceeding 6.2 million people, its total US$19.6 billion in 2025 exports translates to $3,150 for every resident in the Show Me State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $3,100 per capita one year earlier in 2024.

Missouri’s unemployment rate was 3.8% at the end of May 2026, down from 4% one year earlier per YCharts.

Missouri’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Missouri global shipments during 2025. 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. Miscellaneous digital processing units: US$3.6 billion (18.5% of total Missourian exports)
2. Medical, dental, veterinarian instruments: $1 billion (5.3%)
3. Plastic plates, sheets: $749.6 million (3.8%)
4. Miscellaneous food preparations: $556 million (2.8%)
5. Miscellaneous computer storage units: $450.7 million (2.3%)
6. Outboard engines for marine vessels: $339.2 million (1.7%)
7. Spark-ignition piston engine parts: $331.8 million (1.7%)
8. Miscellaneous plastic items: $316.2 million (1.6%)
9. Civilian aircraft, engines, other aircraft parts: $285.2 million (1.5%)
10. Static converters, computer power supplies: $233 million (1.2%)

Missouri’s top 10 exports generated about two-fifths (40.5%) 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 53.2% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales were medical, dental and veterinarian instruments, thanks to a 159.8% advance.

Missouri’s shipments of plates or sheets posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 40.5%, ahead of exported miscellaneous food preparations (up 25.8%) then computer storage units (up 24.2%).

The lone year-over-year decliner among Missouri’s top 10 export products was the static converters and computer power supplies subcategory via a -18.2% decrease.

More Key Facts about Missouri’s International Trade

Missouri incurred an overall -US$2.2 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2025. That dollar amount reflects a -54% slowdown from -$4.8 billion in red 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.

Overall imports into Missouri totaled US$21.8 billion during 2025.

Below are Missouri’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2025.

1. Single-phase AC electric motors: US$462.2 million (2.1% of total Missourian imports)
2. Reception, conversion or transmission machines: $368 million (1.7%)
3. Miscellaneous digital processing units: $318.9 million (1.5%)
4. Compressors used in refrigerating equipment: $304.1 million (1.4%)
5. Spark-ignition reciprocating piston engines: $286.8 million (1.3%)
6. Air or gas pumps, compressors, fans, related parts: $277.7 million (1.3%)
7. Semi-trailer truck tractors (diesel): $276.2 million (1.3%)
8. Miscellaneous medicines not in measured doses: $249.5 million (1.1%)
9. Miscellaneous medicines in measured doses for retail: $243.2 million (1.1%)
10. Computer parts, accessories: $241.3 million (1.1%)

Missouri has negative net exports notably in the international trade of single-phase electric motors and medications. 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 approaching four-fifths (77.7%) worth of the total value of products exported from Missouri during 2025.

1. Canada: US$6.7 billion (34.1% of total Missourian exports)
2. Mexico: $4.3 billion (21.8%)
3. Israel: $735.6 million (3.7%)
4. Germany: $700.2 million (3.6%)
5. India: $625.2 million (3.2%)
6. Brazil: $622.2 million (3.2%)
7. Japan: $445.4 million (2.3%)
8. mainland China: $414 million (2.1%)
9. Netherlands: $381 million (1.9%)
10. South Korea: $358.2 million (1.8%)

Missouri’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) purchased 55.9% of the overall value of exported goods from the Show Me State.

In contrast, 9.4% of Missouri’s exports was sent to leading importers located in Asia (India, Japan, mainland China and South Korea).

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 July 13, 2026

Forbes, 2022 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on July 13, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2022 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on July 13, 2026

IBIS World, Missouri Economic Overview (gross domestic product, population). Accessed on July 13, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 13, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 13, 2026

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on July 13, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Missouri. Accessed on July 13, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on July 13, 2026

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in Missouri. Accessed on July 13, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on July 13, 2026

Wikipedia, Missouri. Accessed on July 13, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on July 13, 2026