Nicknamed “The Buckeye State” and located in the Great Lakes region within America’s midwest, Ohio shipped US$56.4 billion worth of products around the globe in 2022.

That dollar amount results from a 6% upturn from $53.2 billion three years earlier in 2019.

Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from Ohio increased by 11.3% compared to $50.7 billion for 2021.

Ohio ranks among America’s 15 most lucrative exporters by state well behind front-runners Texas and California. The value of Ohio’s exports equals 2.7% compared to the United States’ overall exported product sales. That percentage reflects a downtick from 2.9% one year earlier.

Ohio’s exported products represent 9.1% of the state’s total economic output or Gross Domestic Product ($620.7 billion).

The most valuable products shipped from Ohio are civilian aircraft including engines or other parts, miscellaneous medications in measured dosage packaged for retail sale, and soybeans. Collectively, those major commodities generated 15.5% of Ohio’s total export sales during 2022..

Given Ohio’s population of 11.8 million people, its total $56.4 billion in 2022 exports translates to $4,800 for every resident in the Great Lakes region state. That dollar metric outpaces the average $4,300 per capita in 2021.

Ohio’s unemployment rate was 4% at the end of January 2023, down from 4.1% one year prior per YCharts.

Ohio’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Ohio global shipments during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Ohio.

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

1. Civilian aircraft including engines, other parts: US$4.5 billion (8.1% of Ohio’s total exports)
2. Miscellaneous medications for retail sale: $2.8 billion (5%)
3. Soya beans: $1.4 billion (2.4%)
4. Large automobiles (piston engine): $1.1 billion (1.9%)
5. Mid-sized automobiles (reciprocating piston engine): $1.07 billion (1.9%)
6. Spark-ignition piston engines: $919.3 million (1.6%)
7. Coal (unagglomerated): $757.3 million (1.3%)
8. Small automobiles (piston engine): $737.4 million (1.3%)
9. Vaccines (for human medicine): $663.4 million (1.2%)
10. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $644.6 million (1.1%)

Ohio’s top 10 exports accounted for about one-quarter (25.9%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Unagglomerated bituminous coal represents the fastest grower among Ohio’s top 10 export categories, up by 450.2% from 2021 to 2022.

In second place for improving export sales were miscellaneous medications in measured doses packaged for retail sale, thanks to a 79% gain. Motor vehicle gear boxes shipped from Ohio posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 13.5%, ahead of the 12.9% year-over-year advance for exports of small passenger motor vehicles.

Posting double-digit declines among Ohio’s top 10 export products were soybeans (down -36.9% from 2021) and mid-sized automobiles powered by reciprocating piston engine (down -25.5%).

More Key Facts about Ohio’s International Trade

Overall, Ohio incurred a -$27.2 billion trade deficit exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount reflects a 7.1% increase from -$25.4 billion in red ink in 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, Ohio imported $83.6 billion worth of products from around the globe in 2022.

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

1. Miscellaneous medications for retail sale: US$2.8 billion (3.4% of Ohio’s total imports)
2. Crude petroleum oils: $2.7 billion (3.2%)
3. Medical, dental or veterinarian instruments: $1.3 billion (1.5%)
4. Motor vehicle body parts, accessories: $1.2 billion (1.4%)
5. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $1.13 billion (1.3%)
6. Motor vehicle body parts, accessories: $1.06 billion (1.3%)
7. Spark-ignition engine parts: $987.1 million (1.2%)
8. Ferrous products from directly reduced iron: $814.6 million (1%)
9. Unwrought aluminum (non-alloyed): $742.9 million (0.9%)
10. Immunological products in measured doses for retail sale: $711.8 million (0.9%)

Ohio has highly negative net exports in the international trade of its international trade in medicines packaged for retail sale. In turn, these cashflows indicate Ohio’s strong competitive disadvantages under pertinent product categories.

Ohio’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased about three-quarters (74.9%) worth of the total value of products exported from Ohio during 2022.

1. Canada $19.7 billion (34.9% of Ohio’s total exports)
2. Mexico $7.3 billion (12.9%)
3. Japan $3.2 billion (5.7%)
4. China $2.9 billion (5.2%)
5. Brazil $2.1 billion (3.8%)
6. United Kingdom $1.58 billion (2.8%)
7. Germany $1.55 billion (2.7%)
8. Netherlands $1.48 billion (2.6%)
9. France $1.2 billion (2.1%)
10. South Korea $1.19 billion (2.1%)

Ohio’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) approach half (47.9%) of the overall value of exported goods from The Buckeye State.

Ohioan Export Companies

Twenty-five of Ohio-headquartered corporations rank on the Fortune 500 listing of largest American businesses. Selected examples are presented below.

• American Electric Power (electricity distribution)
• FirstEnergy Corp (electricity distribution)
• Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (tire manufacturer)
• J.M. Smucker Company (fruit jams, beverages, toppings)
• L Brands (clothing, fashion accessories)
• Marathon Petroleum (oil, gas refiner)
• Owens-Illinois (glass containers)
• Parker Hannifin Corporation (motion or control technologies)
• Proctor & Gamble (consumer goods, personal care items)
• Sherwin-Williams (paints, other building materials)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related product category in which each company deals.
 

Ohio’s capital city is Columbus.

See also America’s Top 20 Export States, Alabama’s Top 10 Exports, Florida’s Top 10 Exports, Louisiana’s Top 10 Exports and Hawaii’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
Columbus Business First, 25 Ohio companies make new Fortune 500 list… . Accessed on March 13, 2023

Department of Numbers, Ohio GDP (dollars shown in real terms). Accessed on March 13, 2023

FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on March 13, 2023

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on March 13, 2023

IBIS World, State Economic Profile (including GDP). Accessed on March 13, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 13, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on March 13, 2023

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Ohio. Accessed on March 13, 2023

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on March 13, 2023

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on March 13, 2023

Wikipedia, Ohio. Accessed on March 13, 2023

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in Ohio. Accessed on March 13, 2023

World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Columbus, United States. Accessed on March 13, 2023

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on March 13, 2023