Nicknamed the “Keystone State” or “Quaker State” and located in America’s northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions, Pennsylvania shipped US$53.5 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2024.

That dollar amount results from a 19.4% increase from $44.8 billion four years earlier in 2021.

Year over year, the overall value of Pennsylvanian exports grew by 1% compared to $52.9 billion during 2023.

Pennsylvania ranks as America’s 11th biggest exporter by state lagging front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois.

The value of Pennsylvania’s exports equals 2.6% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2024, same as 2.6% one year earlier.

Pennsylvania’s exported products represent 5.2% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2024 ($1.024 trillion).

Given Pennsylvania’s population of 13.1 million people, its total $53.5 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $4,100 for every resident in the Quaker State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $4,050 per capita for 2023.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 4% at the end of July 2025, up from 3.6% one year prior per YCharts.

Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Liquified propane: US$2.5 billion (4.7% of total Pennsylvanian exports)
2. Human medicine vaccines: $2.5 billion (4.7%)
3. Miscellaneous medications: $1.93 billion (3.6%)
4. Immunological products for retail sale: $1.91 billion (3.6%)
5. Coal (non-agglomerated, bituminous): $1.8 billion (3.4%)
6. Smartphones: $954.3 million (1.8%)
7. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $859.2 million (1.6%)
8. Small portable computers: $663.8 million (1.2%)
9. Civilian aircraft, engines or other aircraft parts: $653.5 million (1.2%)
10. Nickel alloy bars, rods, profiles: $512.5 million (1%)

Pennsylvania’s top 10 exports generated over one-quarter (26.9%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Modems and similar reception or transmission devices the fastest grower among the leading Pennsylvanian exports, increasing by 22.9% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place were immunological products packaged for retail sale (up 17.9%) ahead of exported nickel alloy bars, rods and profiles (up 15.3%).

There were 3 double-digit decliners among Pennsylvania’s top 10 export products: small portable computers (down -24.5% from 2023), miscellaneous medications (down -21.4%), then non- agglomerated, bituminous coal (down -18.9%).

More Key Facts about Pennsylvania’s International Trade

Pennsylvania incurred an overall -US$73.8 billion trade deficit exporting and importing products during 2024. That dollar amount reflects a 23% year-over-year expansion from -$60 billion in red 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 Pennsylvania’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2024.

1. Miscellaneous medications: $17.7 billion (13.9% of total Pennsylvanian imports)
2. Immunological products in dosage for retail sale: $10.2 billion (8%)
3. Smartphones: $5.7 billion (4.5%)
4. Crude petroleum oils: $4.9 billion (3.9%)
5. Human medicine vaccines: $4 billion (3.9%)
6. Small portable computers: $3.3 billion (3.2%)
7. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $3 billion (2.6%)
8. Automobiles (both spark ignition, electric motors): $1.64 billion (2.4%)
9. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $1.59 billion (1.3%)
10. Large automobiles (piston engine): $1.5 billion (1.3%)

Pennsylvania has highly negative net exports especially in the international trade of a wide variety of medicines, mobile phones and crude petroleum oils. In turn, these cashflows indicate Pennsylvania’s strong competitive disadvantages under those product categories showing the strong impact of foreign goods on the Pennsylvanian global balance sheet.

Pennsylvania’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased 67.6% worth of the total value of products exported from Pennsylvania during 2024.

1. Canada: $14.8 billion (27.7% of total Pennsylvanian exports)
2. Mexico: $5.1 billion (9.6%)
3. mainland China: $3.4 billion (6.5%)
4. Netherlands: $2.3 billion (4.3%)
5. Japan: $2.2 billion (4.2%)
6. United Kingdom: $1.83 billion (3.4%)
7. Singapore: $1.75 billion (3.3%)
8. Germany: $1.72 billion (3.2%)
9. Belgium: $1.5 billion (2.7%)
10. France: $1.4 billion (2.7%)

Pennsylvania’s top trade partners in North America–Canada and Mexico–accounted for 37.4% of the overall value of the state’s exported goods.

That percentage compares to 13.9% bought by Asia’s leading importers (mainland China, Japan and Singapore) of Pennsylvanian exports.

Another 16.3% worth went to Pennsylvania’s biggest customers in Europe. The major European customers buying Pennsylvanian exports were the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and France.

Pennsylvanian Export Companies

Forty-six of Pennsylvania-headquartered corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that includes America’s largest businesses. Selected examples are shown below.

• Armstrong World Industries (walls, ceilings)
• Carpenter Technology Corp (stainless steel, alloys)
• Dentsply Sirona (dental supplies, equipment)
• EnerSys (batteries)
• EQT Corp (petroleum, natural gas)
• GNC (vitamins, other health-related foods)
• Kennametal (tools, industrial materials)
• Unisys Corp (IT software, technology, services)
• United Refining Company (petroleum, gasoline)
• Vishay Intertechnology (electronic components, semiconductors)

Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services which each business sells.
 
Pennsylvania’s capital is Harrisburg, a city literally nicknamed “Pennsylvania’s Capital City”.

See also Oklahoma’s Top 10 Exports, Alaska’s Top 10 Exports, Top 10 Exports from Massachusetts, Louisiana’s Top 10 Exports and Virginia’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on September 8, 2025

Forbes, 2016 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on September 8, 2025

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List, Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on September 8, 2025

IBIS World, Real gross domestic product of Pennsylvania. Accessed on September 8, 2025

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 8, 2025

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on September 8, 2025

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Pennsylvania. Accessed on September 8, 2025

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on September 8, 2025

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in Pennsylvania. Accessed on September 8, 2025

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on September 8, 2025

Wikipedia, Pennsylvania. Accessed on September 8, 2025

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on September 8, 2025