Nicknamed “The Mount Rushmore State” located in America’s midwestern region, South Dakota shipped US$1.86 billion worth of products around the world in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a -21.2% decrease from $2.4 billion four years earlier for 2022.

Year over year, the overall value of South Dakotan exports fell -13% compared to $2.13 billion starting in 2024.

South Dakota ranks as America’s 2nd smallest exporter by state ahead of only Hawaii.

The value of South Dakota’s exports equals 0.1% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2025.

South Dakota’s exported products represent 2.3% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2025 ($80.7 billion). That percentage compares to 2.8% for 2024.

Given South Dakota’s population of 935,100 people, its total US$1.86 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $2,000 for every resident in the Mount Rushmore State. That dollar metric lags the average $2,300 per capita one year earlier in 2024.

South Dakota’s unemployment rate was 2% at the end of June 2026, mirroring the state’s 2% jobless rate one year prior per YCharts.

South Dakota’s Top 10 Exports

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

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

1. Ethyl alcohol, other denatured spirits: US$344 million (18.5% of total South Dakotan exports)
2. Soya beans: $121.8 million (6.6%)
3. Brewing/distilling dregs, waste: $102.2 million (5.5%)
4. Pork (frozen): $72.8 million (3.9%)
5. Solid residues like soya bean oil-cake: $64.7 million (3.5%)
6. Frozen pork offal excluding livers: $55.5 million (3%)
7. Milk albumin: $54.5 million (2.9%)
8. Animal feed excluding dog or cat food: $51.7 million (2.8%)
9. Self-propelled works trucks, forklifts: $48.4 million (2.6%)
10. Bone-in pork (fresh or chilled): $42.1 million (2.3%)

South Dakota’s top 10 exports generated 51.6% of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Soya beans represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 82.2% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales was animal feed excluding dog or cat food, up by 70.7% trailed by South Dakota’s exports of milk albumin (up 6.9%).

Decliners among South Dakota’s top 10 export products were fresh or chilled bone-in pork (down -36.6% from 2024), soya bean oil-cake and other solid residues (down -29.3%), brewing or distilling dregs and waste (down -17.3%) then frozen pork (down -10.5%).

More Key Facts about Dakota’s International Trade

South Dakota incurred an overall US$318.9 million surplus exporting and importing products during 2025. That dollar amount reflects a -29.6% deceleration from $453.1 million in black ink 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.

Collectively, products imported into South Dakota totaled US$1.54 billion for 2025 down by -8.6% from $1.68 billion during 2024.

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

1. Prepared or preserved beef, offal: US$229.2 million (14.9% of total South Dakotan imports)
2. Potassium chloride: $47.1 million (3.1%)
3. Live swine: $38.3 million (2.5%)
4. Coniferous wood sawn or chipped lengthwise: $24.7 million (1.6%)
5. Base metal mountings, fittings: $24.2 million (1.6%)
6. Unalloyed aluminum (unwrought): $19.9 million (1.3%)
7. Small portable computers: $18.4 million (1.2%)
8. Trucks (diesel engine): $18 million (1.2%)
9. Live cattle not for purebred breeding: $17 million (1.1%)
10. Parts for harvesters, grass mowers, egg sorters: $16.6 million (1.1%)

Historically, South Dakota generates positive net exports in the international trade of denatured spirits such as ethyl alcohol, brewing or distilling dregs and waste, and pork including hams. In turn, these cashflows indicate South Dakota’s competitive advantages under those product categories.

South Dakota’s Major Trade Partners”

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased 86.5% worth of the total value of products exported from South Dakota during 2025.

1. Canada: US$851.4 million (45.9% of total South Dakotan exports)
2. Mexico: $366.5 million (19.7%)
3. mainland China: $110.9 million (6%)
4. Japan: $67.4 million (3.6%)
5. Norway: $40.4 million (2.2%)
6. Belgium: $36.1 million (1.9%)
7. Australia: $34.3 million (1.8%)
8. Netherlands: $34.2 million (1.8%)
9. South Korea: $32.5 million (1.7%)
10. Brazil: $31.6 million (1.7%)

South Dakota’s top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) bought almost two-thirds (65.6%) of the overall value of exported goods from the Mount Rushmore State.

In contrast, importers in leading Asian countries (mainland China, Japan and South Korea) accounted for 11.4% of South Dakota’s export sales in 2025.

South Dakotan Export Companies

Not one South Dakota-based corporation ranks among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Selected examples are listed below.

According to Zippia, below are examples of relatively large companies based in South Dakota.

• ANZA Inc. (electronics components)
• Dakota Provisions (poultry-related goods including turkey meat)
• Daktronics (video displays, billboards, scoreboards, sound systems)
• Raven Industries (precision agricultural products, radar systems)
• Trail King Industries (agricultural equipment)

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

South Dakota’s capital is Pierre, a small city located on rough river bluffs above the Missouri River’s east bank.

See also Indiana’s Top 10 Exports, Nebraska’s Top 10 Exports, West Virginia’s Top 10 Exports, Delaware’s Top 10 Exports and New Hampshire’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on August 5, 2026

Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 5, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2022 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on August 5, 2026

IBIS World, South Dakota Economic Overview (gross domestic product, population). Accessed on August 5, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 5, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 5, 2026

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on August 5, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: South Dakota. Accessed on August 5, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on October 30, 2025

Wikipedia, Category:Companies based in South Dakota. Accessed on August 5, 2026

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on August 5, 2026

Wikipedia, South Dakota. Accessed on August 5, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on August 5, 2026

Zippia, These are the 100 largest companies in South Dakota. Accessed on August 5, 2026