Nicknamed “The Cornhusker State” located in America’s Midwestern and Great Plans regions, Nebraska shipped US$8.2 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2024.

That dollar amount results from a 2.8% gain from $7.96 billion four years earlier in 2021.

Year over year, the total value of Nebraska’s exported goods grew by 2.6% compared to $7.98 billion for 2023.

Nebraska ranks as America’s 36th most lucrative exporter by state behind front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois.

The value of Nebraska’s exports equals 0.4% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2024.

In addition, Nebraska’s exported products represent 4.4% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2024 ($185.4 billion).

Given Nebraska’s population of 2 million people, its total US$8.2 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $4,100 for every resident in the Cornhusker State. That dollar metric surpasses the average $4,000 per capita in 2023.

Nebraska’s unemployment rate was 3% at the end of September 2025, up from 2.9% one year prior per YCharts.

Nebraska’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Beef (boneless, fresh/chilled): US$1 billion (12.8% of total Nebraskan exports)
2. Beef (boneless, frozen): $570.9 million (7%)
3. Soya beans: $482.1 million (5.9%)
4. Combine harvester-threshers: $367.2 million (4.5%)
5. Corn: $301.2 million (3.7%)
6. Solid residues including soya bean oil-cake: $295.6 million (3.6%)
7. Frozen pork: $254.6 million (3.1%)
8. Veterinary vaccines: $191.7 million (2.3%)
9. Civilian aircraft, full or engines, other parts: $191.7 million (2.3%)
10. Beef (bone-in, frozen): $185.9 million (2.3%)

Nebraska’s top 10 exports approached half (47.5%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Posting the greatest gains from 2023 to 2024 was the value of Nebraskan exports of civilian aircraft either fully assembled or engines or other aircraft parts (up 379.1%), frozen beef with bone still in (up 79.5%), corn (up 35.8%), then exports of frozen pork (up 25.5%).

Recording year-over-year declines were exports of combine harvester-threshers (down -34.4%) and solid residues including soya bean oil-cake (down -5.9%).

More Key Facts about Nebraska’s International Trade

Nebraska earned an overall US$2.2 billion surplus exporting and importing products during 2024. That dollar amount reflects a 5.6% year-over-year expansion from $2.1 billion in black 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 Nebraska’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2024.

1. Road tractors for semi-trailers: US$297.3 million (4.9% of total Nebraskan imports)
2. Nucleic acids, salts: $275.8 million (4.6%)
3. Heterocyclics with unfused pyrazole ring: $213.6 million (3.6%)
4. Colza seed oilcake, other solid residues: $168.8 million (2.8%)
5. Parts for harvesters, threshers, mowers: $140.7 million (2.3%)
6. Heterocyclics with unfused thiazole ring: $114.7 million (1.9%)
7. Components with pyrimidine or piperazine ring: $94.9 million (1.6%)
8. Spark-ignition reciprocating piston engines: $90.6 million (1.5%)
9. Miscellaneous digital processing units: $85.6 million (1.4%)
10. Internal combustion piston engines: $84.1 million (1.4%)

Nebraska has positive net exports notably in the international trade of agricultural commodities including beef, soya beans and corn. In turn, these cashflows indicate Nebraska’s competitive advantages under those product categories.

Nebraska’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased almost four-fifths (78.2%) worth of the total value of products exported from Nebraska during 2024.

1. Mexico: US$1.73 billion (21.2% of total Nebraskan exports)
2. Canada: $1.66 billion (20.2%)
3. South Korea: $733.7 million (9%)
4. Japan: $697.8 million (8.5%)
5. mainland China: $652.7 million (8%)
6. Taiwan: $255 million (3.1%)
7. Australia: $216.9 million (2.7%)
8. Belgium: $172.6 million (2.1%)
9. Netherlands: $151.9 million (1.9%)
10. Germany: $127.3 million (1.6%)

Nebraska’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) bought 41.4% of the overall value of exported goods from the Cornhusker State.

In comparison, 28.6% of Nebraska’s exported goods were consumed by its major trade partners in Asia (South Korea, Japan, mainland China and Taiwan).

Nebraskan Export Companies

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

• Cabela’s Inc (outdoor recreational equipment)
• ConAgra Foods (food processing, packaging)
• Green Plains (ethanol)
• TD Ameritrade Holding Corp (brokerage firm)
• Union Pacific Corp (rail transportation)
• Valmont Industries (irrigation, windmill, lighting, traffic equipment)
• Werner Enterprises (freight transportation, logistics)
• West Corp (telecommunications)

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

Nebraska’s capital is Lincoln, a city nicknamed “Star City”.

See also North Dakota’s Top 10 Exports, Montana’s Top 10 Exports, Wisconsin’s Top 10 Exports, Delaware’s Top 10 Exports and Vermont’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on January 19, 2026

Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on January 19, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2021 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on January 19, 2026

IBIS World, Nebraska Economic Profile (gross domestic product, population). Accessed on January 19, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on January 19, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on January 19, 2026

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on January 19, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Nebraska. Accessed on January 19, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on January 19, 2026

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in Nebraska. Accessed on January 19, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on January 19, 2026

Wikipedia, Nebraska. Accessed on January 19, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on January 19, 2026