Nicknamed “The Natural State” and previously “The Bear State” located in America’s southeastern region, Arkansas shipped US$5.9 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2022.

That dollar amount results from a -5.7% decline from $6.23 billion four year earlier in 2018.

Year over year, the overall value of Arkansan exports rose 4.9% compared to $5.6 billion during 2021.

Arkansas ranks far down the list among America’s 40 biggest exporters by state behind front-runners including Texas, California, Louisiana, New York State and Illinois. The value of Arkansas’ exports equals 0.3% of United States’ overall exported products for 2022.

Based on research from Statista, exported products from Arkansas represent 4.6% of the state’s total economic output or real Gross Domestic Product in 2022 ($126.5 billion).

Given Arkansas’ population of 3.046 million people, its total $5.9 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $1,950 for every resident in the Natural State. That dollar metric eclipses the average $1,850 per capita one year earlier in 2021.

Arkansas’ unemployment rate was 3% at the end of March 2023, down from 4.5% at February 2022 per YCharts.

Top 10 Exports from Arkansas

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Arkansas global shipments during 2022. 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 including engines, parts: US$883.4 million (15% of Arkansas’ total exports)
2. Cotton (uncarded, uncombed): $342.8 million (5.8%)
3. Milled rice: $220.5 million (3.8%)
4. Chicken eggs: $211.2 million (3.6%)
5. Bombs, grenades, mines, missiles: $182.8 million (3.1%)
6. Fresh or chilled poultry (cuts, offal): $165.1 million (2.8%)
7. Paper, paperboard with plastic: $149.8 million (2.5%)
8. Frozen poultry (cuts, offal): $145.3 million (2.5%)
9. Styrene polymers: $141.2 million (2.4%)
10. Vulcanized rubber plates, sheets: $109.1 million (1.9%)

Arkansas’ top 10 exports accounted for 43.4% of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Uncarded and non-combed cotton represents the fastest grower among the state’s top 10 export categories, accelerating by 168.3% from 2021 to 2022.

In second place for improving export sales for Arkansas was styrene polymers (up 77.2%) ahead of fresh or chilled poultry cuts and offal (up 43.2%) then frozen poultry cuts and offal (up 31.4%).

The sole decliner among Arkansas’ top 10 exports was the bombs, grenades, mines and missiles product category, recording a -48.1% reduction from 2021.

More Key Facts about Arkansan International Trade

Arkansas incurred an overall -$1.7 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount results from a -60.8% year-over-year decrease from -$4.3 billion in red ink 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.

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

1. Large aircraft: US$652.1 million (8.6% of Arkansas’ total imports)
2. Medium-size aircraft: $328.6 million (4.3%)
3. Semi-trailer road tractors (diesel engine): $185.5 million (2.5%)
4. Transport containers: $137.1 million (1.8%)
5. Iron or non-alloy steel bars, rods in coils: $136 million (1.8%)
6. Nickel powders, flakes: $134.9 million (1.8%)
7. Miscellaneous weapons excluding side-arms: $113.7 million (1.5%)
8. Vehicle drive axles: $112.5 million (1.5%)
9. Insulated electric conductors: $104.2 million (1.4%)
10. Bombs, grenades, mines, missiles: $93.9 million (1.2%)

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 over two-thirds (68.4%) worth of the total value of products exported from Arkansas during 2022.

1. Canada: US$1.44 billion (24.5% of Arkansas’ total exports)
2. Mexico: $1.03 billion (17.5%)
3. mainland China: $375.3 million (6.4%)
4. United Kingdom: $245.6 million (4.2%)
5. Netherlands: $210.6 million (3.6%)
6. France: $184.8 million (3.1%)
7. Japan: $161.4 million (2.7%)
8. South Korea: $141.3 million (2.4%)
9. Australia: $124.4 million (2.1%)
10. Vietnam: $108.9 million (1.9%)

Arkansas’ top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) bought over two-fifths (42%) of the overall value of exported goods from the Natural State.

In contrast, leading trade partners in Europe (United Kingdom, Netherlands and France) purchased 10.9% worth with another 11.5% sold to leading importers in Asia (mainland China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam).

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:
Department of Numbers, Arkansas GDP (dollars shown in real terms). Accessed on May 2, 2023

FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on May 2, 2023

Forbes, 2018 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 2, 2023

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2018 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on May 2, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 2, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 2, 2023

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on May 2, 2023

Statista, Real gross domestic product of Arkansas. Accessed on May 2, 2023

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Arkansas. Accessed on May 2, 2023

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on May 2, 2023

Wikipedia, Arkansas. Accessed on May 2, 2023

Wikipedia, List of Arkansas Companies. Accessed on May 2, 2023

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on May 2, 2023

World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Little Rock, United States. Accessed on May 2, 2023

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on May 2, 2023