Nicknamed “The Natural State” and previously “The Bear State” located in America’s southeastern region, Arkansas shipped US$6.93 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2024.

That dollar amount results from a 24.2% upturn from $5.2 billion four year earlier in 2021.

Year over year, the overall value of Arkansan exports rose 9.2% compared to $5.9 billion during 2023.

Arkansas ranks as America’s 39th biggest exporter by state behind front-runners including Texas, California, New York state, Louisiana and Illinois. The value of Arkansas’ exports equals 0.3% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2024, the same percentage as one year earlier.

Products exported from Arkansas represent 3.7% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2024 ($188.7 billion).

Given Arkansas’ population of 3.088 million people, its total $6.93 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $2,250 for every resident in the Natural State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $2,100 per capita one year earlier in 2023.

Arkansas’ unemployment rate was 3.7% at the end of June 2025, up from 3.4% one year prior per YCharts.

Top 10 Exports from Arkansas

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

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

1. Civilian aircraft or aircraft engines, other parts: US$952.7 million (13.7% of total Arkansan exports)
2. Bombs, grenades, mines, missiles: $450.5 million (6.5%)
3. Chemical woodpulp: $246.8 million (3.6%)
4. Cotton (uncarded, uncombed): $208.7 million (3%)
5. Milled rice: $202.5 million (2.9%)
6. Fresh or chilled poultry (cuts, offal): $194.4 million (2.8%)
7. Chicken eggs: $192.6 million (2.8%)
8. Rice in husk: $167.6 million (2.4%)
9. Paper, paperboard made with plastic: $134.8 million (1.9%)
10. Frozen poultry (cuts, offal): $122.4 million (1.8%)

Arkansas’ top 10 exports accounted for 41.5% of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Rice in husk represents the fastest grower among the state’s top 10 export categories, accelerating by 158.4% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place for improving export sales for Arkansas was the frozen poultry cuts and offal product category (up 93.4%) ahead of chemical woodpulp (up 30.5%) then frozen poultry cuts and offal (up 26.4%).

Double-digit decliners among Arkansas’ top 10 exports was uncarded and uncombed cotton (down -36.9% from 2023), chicken eggs (down -11.8%) and bombs, grenades, mines and missiles (down -11.5%).

More Key Facts about Arkansan International Trade

Arkansas incurred an overall -US$248 million deficit exporting and importing products during 2024. That dollar amount results from a -51.1% year-over-year slimming from -$506.9 million 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 Arkansas’ top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2024.

1. Civilian aircraft or aircraft engines, other parts: $789.4 million (11% of total Arkansan imports)
2. Medium-size aircraft: $220.2 million (3.1%)
3. Bombs, grenades, mines, missiles: $146.8 million (2%)
4. Semi-trailer road tractors (diesel engine): $130.8 million (1.8%)
5. Hand tools with electric motor: $123.1 million (1.7%)
6. Electric conductors: $94.1 million (1.3%)
7. Miscellaneous weapons excluding side-arms: $85.2 million (1.2%)
8. Parts of heating equipment, furnaces, ovens: $84.1 million (1.2%)
9. Unwrought zinc: $73.1 million (1%)
10. Parts of harvesters, mowers, sorters: $68.3 million (1%)

Arkansas has negative net exports in the international trade of aircraft and road tractors for semi-trailers. In turn, these cashflows indicate Arkansas’ competitive disadvantages under pertinent product categories.

Major Arkansan Trading Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased about two-thirds (66.9%) worth of the total value of products exported from Arkansas during 2024.

1. Mexico: $1.6 billion (23% of total Arkansan exports)
2. Canada: $1.5 billion (21.9%)
3. France: $399.9 million (5.8%)
4. mainland China: $226 million (3.3%)
5. Brazil: $159.4 million (2.3%)
6. Japan: $153.4 million (2.2%)
7. Switzerland: $153 million (2.2%)
8. Israel: $150.9 million (2.2%)
9. United Kingdom: $139.9 million (2%)
10. South Korea: $138.2 million (2%)

Arkansas’ top trade partners in North America (Mexico and Canada) bought well over two-fifths (45%) of the overall value of exported goods from the Natural State.

In contrast, leading Arkansan trade partners in Europe (France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) purchased 10% worth.

Another 7.5% sold to leading importers in Asia (mainland China, Japan and South Korea).

Arkansan Export Companies

Eight Arkansas-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Selected examples are listed below.

• ArcBest Corp (freight forwarding, transport logistics)
• J.B. Hunt (trucking, transport services)
• Murphy Oil Corp (petroleum, natural gas)
• Tyson Foods (food processing, marketing)
• Windstream (voice/data network communications)

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

Arkansas’ capital is Little Rock, a city nicknamed “LR”, “Rock Town” and “The Rock”.

See also Ohio’s Top 10 Exports, Alaska’s Top 10 Exports, Oregon’s Top 10 Exports, Louisiana’s Top 10 Exports and Washington State’s Top 10 Exports

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

Forbes, 2020 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 8, 2025

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2020 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on August 8, 2025

IBIS World, Arkansas Economic Overview (GDP, population). Accessed on August 8, 2025

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

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

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on August 8, 2025

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Arkansas. Accessed on August 8, 2025

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

Wikipedia, Arkansas. Accessed on August 8, 2025

Wikipedia, List of Arkansas Companies. Accessed on August 8, 2025

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

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