Nicknamed “The Palmetto State” and found in America’s southeastern region, South Carolina shipped US$38.6 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a 22.6% increase from $31.5 billion four years earlier in 2022.

Year over year, the overall value of products exported from South Carolina slowed to a 1.5% gain compared to $38 billion for 2024.

South Carolina ranks 18th among the top 20 most lucrative exporters by American state behind front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana, Illinois and Florida.

The value of South Carolina’s exports equals 1.8% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2025 (US$2.178 trillion), same percentage as for 2024.

South Carolina’s exported products represent 10.2% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2025 ($378.8 billion). That percentage falls below the 10.8% for 2024.

Given South Carolina’s population of 5.6 million people, its total US$38.6 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $6,900 for every resident in the Palmetto State. That dollar metric lags the average $6,950 per capita during 2024.

South Carolina’s unemployment rate was 4.6% at then end of May 2026, up from 4.3% one year prior per YCharts.

South Carolina’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Civilian aircraft, engines, other aircraft parts: US$6.9 billion (17.8% of total South Carolinian exports)
2. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $3.3 billion (8.5%)
3. Larger automobiles (piston engine): $2.6 billion (6.7%)
4. Automobiles (both spark ignition, electric motors): $1.6 billion (4.1%)
5. New rubber tires for specialty vehicles: $1.3 billion (3.3%)
6. Larger aircraft: $1.2 billion (3%)
7. Automobiles (electric motor only) $845.5 million (2.2%)
8. Mid-sized automobiles (diesel engine): $773.5 million (2%)
9. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $705.7 million (1.8%)
10. Larger automobiles (diesel engine): $647.1 million (1.7%)

South Carolina’s top 10 exports represent over half (51.2%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

The strongest grower from 2024 among the state’s top 10 export categories were motor vehicle gear boxes (up 336.9%).

In second place were South Carolina’s exports of automobiles powered by electric motor only (up 235%), ahead of exported larger aircraft (up 156.6%) then civilian aircraft or aircraft engines and other parts (up 21.1%).

The 3 double-digit percentage decliners among South Carolina top 10 export products were larger automobiles powered by diesel engine (down -26.4% from 2024), mid-sized automobiles powered by piston engine (down -26%) and automobiles with both spark ignition and electric motors (down -16.3%).

More Key Facts about South Carolina’s International Trade

South Carolina incurred an overall -US$17.6 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2025, declining by -12% from a -$19.9 billion deficit 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.

All told, imports into South Carolina totaled US$56.1 billion during 2025.

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

1. Single-phase AC electric motors: US$1.6 billion (2.8% of total South Carolinian imports)
2. Reception, conversion or transmission machines: $1.13 billion (2.0%)
3. Miscellaneous digital processing units: $1.07 billion (1.9%)
4. Compressors used in refrigerating equipment: $986.6 million (1.8%)
5. Spark-ignition reciprocating piston engines: $975.1 million (1.7%)
6. Air or gas pumps, compressors, fans, related parts: $943.5 million (1.7%)
7. Semi-trailer truck tractors (diesel): $851.1 million (1.5%)
8. Miscellaneous medicines not in measured doses: $829.7 million (1.5%)
9. Miscellaneous medicines in measured doses for retail: $788.2 million (1.4%)
10. Computer parts, accessories: $738.3 million (1.3%)

Historically, South Carolina posts notably negative net exports in the international trade of uranium U235/plutonium compounds and solar power cells. In turn, these cashflows indicate South Carolina’s competitive disadvantages under those product categories.

South Carolina’s Major Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 international customers that purchased nearly two-thirds (64.9%) worth of the total value of products exported from South Carolina during 2025.

1. Germany: US$5.2 billion (13.3% of total South Carolinian exports)
2. Mexico: $4.2 billion (11%)
3. Canada: $4.1 billion (10.6%)
4. South Korea: $2.7 billion (7.1%)
5. mainland China: $1.9 billion (4.9%)
6. Belgium: $1.53 billion (4%)
7. Japan: $1.5 billion (3.9%)
8. United Kingdom: $1.4 billion (3.7%)
9. Qatar: $1.3 billion (3.5%)
10. Taiwan: $1.2 billion (3%)

South Carolina’s top trade partners in North America (Mexico and Canada) imported 21.5% of the overall value of exported goods from the Palmetto State.

This compares with 21% for importers based in Europe (Germany, Belgium and the UK) versus 14% for leading importers located in Asia (South Korea, mainland China, Japan and Taiwan).

South Carolinian Export Companies

Five of South Carolina-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Selected examples of companies headquartered or operationally based in South Carolina are shown below.

• Domtar Corp (paper, paper goods)
• Resolute Forest Products (pulp/paper mill)
• ScanSource (security, networking, barcode, technology)
• Sonoco Products Co. (packaging products)

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

South Carolina’s capital is Columbia, a city nicknamed “Cola” and “The Capital of Southern Hospitality”.

See also Minnesota’s Top 10 Exports, New Jersey’s Top 10 Exports, Missouri’s Top 10 Exports, Pennsylvania’s Top 10 Exports and Mississippi’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
Department of Numbers, South Carolina GDP (dollars shown in real terms). Accessed on July 14, 2026

FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on July 14, 2026

Forbes, 2022 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on July 14, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2022 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on July 14, 2026

IBIS World, South Carolina Economic Overview (GDP, population). Accessed on July 14, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 14, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on July 14, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: South Carolina. Accessed on July 14, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on July 14, 2026

Wikipedia, Categories:Companies based in South Carolina. Accessed on July 14, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on July 14, 2026

Wikipedia, South Carolina. Accessed on July 14, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on July 14, 2026