Nicknamed “Big Sky Country” and “The Treasure State” located in America’s northwestern region, Montana shipped US$2.12 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a 7.8% increase from $1.97 billion four years earlier in 2022.

Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from Montana declined by -12.4% compared to $2.42 billion for 2024.

Montana ranks among America’s 5 smallest exporters by state ahead of Vermont, Wyoming, South Dakota and Hawaii. The value of Montana’s exports equals 0.1% of the United States’ overall export sales for 2025.

Montana’s exported products represent 2.6% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2025 ($82.4 billion). That percentage lags the 3.2% for 2024.

Given Montana’s population of 1.14 million people, its total US$2.12 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $1,850 for every resident in the Big Sky Country state. That dollar metric surpasses the average $1,125 per capita in 2024.

Montana’s unemployment rate was 3.6% at the end of March 2026, up from 3.1% one year earlier per YCharts.

Montana’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Montana global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Montana.

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

1. Live cattle not for purebred breeding: US$270.2 million (12.7% of Montana’s total exports)
2. Copper ores, concentrates: $172.1 million (8.1%)
3. Copper oxides, hydroxides: $162.1 million (7.6%)
4. Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $154.6 million (7.3%)
5. Non-agglomerated coal: $150.5 million (7.1%)
6. Civilian aircraft, aircraft engines or other parts: $107.2 million (5.1%)
7. Machinery for making semi-conductors: $92.2 million (4.4%)
8. Lentils (dried/shelled): $66.9 million (3.2%)
9. Miscellaneous vaccines, toxins: $55.6 million (2.6%)
10. Semi-conductor making machine parts, accessories: $46 million (2.2%)

Montana’s top 10 exports generated about three-fifths (60.3%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel represent the fastest grower among Montana’s top 10 export categories, soaring by 904% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales were Montana’s exports of live cattle excluding those for purebred breeding (up 83.3%) ahead of Montanan exports of parts or accessories of machinery for making semi-conductors (up 44.4%) then copper ores and concentrates (up 35.5%).

The decliners among Montana’s top 10 export products were dried and shelled lentils (down -53.7% from 2024), civilian aircraft fully assembled or aircraft parts such as engines (down -51.1%), and machinery for making semi-conductors (down -40.1%).

More Key Facts about Montana’s International Trade

Montana incurred an overall -US$4.2 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2025. That dollar amount reflects a -15.2% year-over-year reduction from -$4.95 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.

Imports into Montana totaled $6.32 billion for 2025.

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

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$4.3 billion (67.9% of Montana’s total imports)
2. Large automobiles (piston engine): $85.8 million (1.4%)
3. Colza oil: $82.5 million (1.3%)
4. Urea: $55.8 million (0.9%)
5. Liquified propane: $53.6 million (0.8%)
6. Natural gas (gaseous state): $52.4 million (0.8%)
7. Mixed sawn or chipped wood: $46.3 million (0.7%)
8. Platinum scrap (pure): $46.1 million (0.7%)
9. Oriented wood strand board: $31.6 million (0.5%)
10. Electrical energy: $26 million (0.4%)

Montana has highly negative net exports in the international trade of crude petroleum oils and, to a much lesser extent, large automobiles powered by piston engine, and colza oil. In turn, these cashflows indicate Montana’s competitive disadvantages under those product categories.

Montana’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased just over four-fifths (80.9%) worth of the total value of products exported from Montana during 2025.

1. Canada: US$1 billion (45.2% of Montana’s total exports)
2. South Korea: $180.3 million (8.5%)
3. Japan: $147.8 million (7%)
4. Belgium: $97.6 million (4.6%)
5. Mexico: $74.3 million (3.5%)
6. United Kingdom: $68.6 million (3.2%)
7. mainland China: $58.5 million (2.8%)
8. Singapore: $45.5 million (2.1%)
9. Taiwan: $42.7 million (2%)
10. Netherlands: $41.1 million (1.9%)

Montana’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) imported approaching half (48.7%) of the overall value of goods exported from the Big Sky Country state.

Another 22.4% worth of Montanan exports were bought by top 10 importers in Asian countries (South Korea, Japan, mainland China, Singapore and Taiwan).

Leading customers in Europe (Belgium, UK and the Netherlands) purchased 9.8% worth.

Montanan Export Companies

Not one Montana-based corporation ranks among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses.

According to Zippia, below are examples of relatively large companies based in Montana.

• Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply (apparel, tools, fencing, equipment)
• RightNow Technologies (internet software, services)
• The Waggoners Trucking (transportation services)
• Watkins & Shepard Trucking (transportation services)

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

Montana’s capital is Helena, a city nicknamed “Queen City of the Rockies”.

See also Nevada’s Top 10 Exports, Idaho’s Top 10 Exports, Kentucky’s Top 10 Exports, Arizona’s Top 10 Exports and Maryland’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

Forbes, 2022 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2022 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

IBIS World, Montana Economic Overview (gross domestic product, population). Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Montana. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in Montana. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

Wikipedia, Montana. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026

Zippia, These are the 100 largest companies in Montana. Accessed on Ma;y 11, 2026