Nicknamed “The Beaver State” and located in the Pacific Northwest region on America’s west coast, Oregon shipped US$34 billion worth of products around the globe in 2022.

That dollar amount results from a 31.2% improvement from $25.9 billion three years earlier in 2019.

Year over year, the overall value of Oregonian exports increased by 13.5% compared to $29.9 billion during 2021.

Oregon ranks among America’s 25 most lucrative exporters by state well behind bigger front-runners like Texas, California, New York and Louisiana. The value of Oregon’s exports equals 1.6% of United States’ overall exported products for 2022, down from 1.7% for 2021.

Oregon’s exported products represent 15.2% of the state’s total economic output or Gross Domestic Product ($223 billion in 2022).

The most valuable products shipped from Oregon are processors and controllers for electronic integrated circuits, machines for making semi-conductor devices, and potassium chloride. Collectively, those leading product categories generated 40.7% of Oregon’s overall export sales during 2022..

Given Oregon’s population of 4.3 million people, its total $34 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $8,000 for every resident in the Pacific Northwest state. That dollar metric outpaces the average $7,000 per capita one year earlier in 2021.

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.8% at the end of December 2023, up from 3.8% in February 2022 per YCharts.

Oregon’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Integrated circuits (processors/controllers): US$9.5 billion (27.8% of Oregon’s total exports)
2. Machinery for making semi-conductor devices: $2.8 billion (8.2%)
3. Potassium chloride: $1.565 billion (4.6%)
4. Piston engines: $1.562 billion (4.6%)
5. Miscellaneous vehicle parts, accessories: $1.1 billion (3.3%)
6. Wheat (excluding Durum): $807.2 million (2.4%)
7. Parts, accessories of machines to make semi-conductors: $579.4 million (1.7%)
8. Miscellaneous electronic integrated circuits: $542.5 million (1.6%)
9. Semi-trailer road tractors: $537.1 million (1.6%)
10. Immunological products in measured doses for retail sale: $457 million (1.3%)

Oregon’s top 10 exports accounted for 57.2% of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Internal combustion piston engines grew at the fastest pace, up by 59,543% from 2021 to 2022.

In second place for annual growth were vehicle parts or accessories (up 5,789%) ahead of Oregonian exports of potassium chloride (up 51.5% from 2021), immunological products in measured doses for retail sale (up 35.9%), then miscellaneous electronic integrated circuits (up 30%).

Year over year, there was a trio of decliners among Oregon’s top 10 export products. These were non-Durham wheat (down -18.5% from 2021), processors and controllers for electronic integrated circuits (down -18.2%), and parts or accessories for machinery to manufacture semi-conductor devices (down -9%).

More Key Facts about Oregon’s International Trade

Oregon generated an overall $5.1 billion surplus exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount reflects a -31.9% reduction from $7.44 billion in black ink posted for 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, Oregon spent $28.9 billion on goods imported during 2022.

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

1. Machinery for making semi-conductor devices: US$2.45 billion (8.5% of Oregon’s total imports)
2. Integrated circuits (processors/controllers): $2.15 billion (7.4%)
3. Large automobiles (piston engine): $1.81 billion (6.3%)
4. Potassium chloride: $1.76 million (6.1%)
5. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $1.3 billion (4.4%)
6. Vehicles with both spark-ignition plus electric motors: $1.04 billion (3.6%)
7. Parts, accessories of machinery for making semi-conductors: $1 billion (3.5%)
8. Refined petroleum oils excluding biodiesel: $586.7 million (2%)
9. Miscellaneous semi-conductor devices: $485.8 million (1.7%)
10. Miscellaneous electronic integrated circuits: $456.5 million (1.6%)

Oregon has highly positive net exports in the international trade of integrated circuits and machinery for making semi-conductors. In turn, these cashflows indicate Oregon’s strong competitive advantages under both leading product categories which create a strong positive impact on Oregon’s global balance sheet.

Oregon’s Major Trading Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased over four-fifths (81.6%) worth of the total value of products exported from Oregon during 2022.

1. China: US$8.4 billion (24.7% of Oregon’s total exports)
2. Mexico: $5.2 billion (15.5%)
3. Canada: $3.4 billion (10.1%)
4. Malaysia: $2.4 billion (7%)
5. Ireland: $2.13 billion (6.3%)
6. Japan: $1.53 billion (4.5%)
7. South Korea: $1.46 billion (4.3%)
8. Israel: $1.32 billion (3.9%)
9. Taiwan: $1.14 billion (3.4%)
10. Vietnam: $721.7 million (2.1%)

Oregon’s top trading partners located in Asia (mainland China, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Taiwan, Vietnam and Singapore) bought about half (49.9%) of the overall value of exported goods from the state.

In comparison, Oregon sold 25.5% worth of its exported goods to customers located in North America (Mexico and Canada).

Oregonian Export Companies

Just two of Oregon-headquartered corporations rank among Fortune 500 companies as of February 2022, according to the State of Oregon’s Employment Department. These two revenue leaders are Nike, an athletic footwear and apparel multi-national supplier, and automotive retailer Lithia Motors.

Wikipedia identifies other large businesses with headquarters within Oregon States. One example is the world’s largest commercial firm specializing in the design and production of thermal imaging cameras, components and imaging sensors, namely FLIR Systems which is based in Wilsonville, Oregon.
Other large companies with their head offices in Oregon include the following.

• Columbia Sportswear (outerwear, sportswear, footwear)
• NW Natural (natural gas)
• Schnitzer Steel Industries (steel manufacturer, scrap metal recycler)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related product category in which each company conducts business.
 
Oregon’s capital city is Salem.

See also Ohio’s Top 10 Exports, Alabama’s Top 10 Exports, Top 10 Exports from Georgia State, Louisiana’s Top 10 Exports and Tennessee’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on March 15, 2023

Forbes 2021 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on March 15, 2023

IBIS World, State Economic Profile (including GDP). Accessed on March 15, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 15, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on March 15, 2023

State of Oregon Employment Department, Oregon’s Company Headquarters: Strong Growth and High Wages. Accessed on March 15, 2023

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Oregon. Accessed on March 15, 2023

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on March 15, 2023

Wikipedia, Oregon. Accessed on March 15, 2023

Wikipedia, List of Companies based in Oregon. Accessed on March 15, 2023

World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Salem’s United States. Accessed on March 15, 2023

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on March 15, 2023