Nicknamed the “Peach State” or “Empire State of the South” and situated in America’s Southeastern region, Georgia shipped US$47.4 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2022.

That dollar amount results from a 14.8% increase from $41.3 billion four years earlier in 2019.

Year over year, the overall value for State of Georgian exports rose 11.6% compared to $42.4 billion during 2021.

Georgia ranks among America’s 11 biggest exporters by state behind front-runners including Texas, California, Louisiana, New York state and Illinois. The value of Georgia’s exports equals 2.3% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2022, down from 2.4% one year earlier.

Based on statistics from Statista, Georgia’s exported products represent 8% of the state’s total economic output or real Gross Domestic Product ($592.3 billion).

Given Georgia’s population of 10.91 million people, its total $47.4 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $4,300 for every resident in the Peach State. That dollar metric exceeds the average $3,900 per capita for 2021.

Georgia’s unemployment rate was 3.1% at the end of April 2023, up from 2.9% one year earlier per YCharts.

Georgia’s Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Georgia global shipments during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Georgia.

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

1. Civilian aircraft, engines and parts: US$7.5 billion (15.8% of Georgia’s total exports)
2. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): $1.9 billion (4%)
3. Chemical woodpulp (coniferous): $1.7 billion (3.6%)
4. Frozen poultry (cuts, offal): $1.33 billion (2.8%)
5. Cotton (uncarded, uncombed): $1.27 billion (2.7%)
6. Kraftliner paper (uncoated/unbleached): $891.1 million (1.9%)
7. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $657 million (1.4%)
8. Miscellaneous digital processing units: $504.5 million (1.1%)
9. High-thrust turbo-jets: $468.5 million (1%)
10. Computer parts, accessories: $266.6 million (0.6%)

Georgia’s top 10 exports represent 34.8% of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

Turbo-jets with a thrust exceeding 25 knots was the fastest grower among Georgia State’s top 10 export categories, thanks to its 1,621% acceleration from 2021 to 2022.

In second place were exports of uncarded and uncombed cotton via a 72.4% advance, ahead of Georgia State’s exports of modems plus similar reception or transmission devices (up 28.5%).

The lone decliner among the listed major export categories were mid-sized automobiles powered by piston engine, pulled down by a -13.8% year-over-year drop.

More Key Facts about Georgia State’s International Trade

Overall, Georgia incurred a -$101.2 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount results from a 24.7% expansion compared to the -$81.2 billion in red ink in 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 Georgia’s top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2022.

1. Mid-sized automobiles (piston engine): US$8.4 billion (5.7% of Georgia’s total imports)
2. Immunological products in measured doses: $4.1 billion (2.8%)
3. Miscellaneous food preparations: $4 billion (2.7%)
4. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $3.7 billion (2.5%)
5. Large automobiles (piston engine): $2.6 billion (1.7%)
6. High-thrust turbo-jets: $1.87 billion (1.3%)
7. Mechanical shovels, excavators: $1.85 billion (1.2%)
8. Refined copper cathodes: $1.77 billion (1.2%)
9. Self-propelled works trucks, forklifts: $955.4 million (0.6%)
10. Miscellaneous chemical industry products: $702.4 million (0.5%)

Georgia State incurred negative net exports in the international trade of automobiles. In turn, these cashflows indicate Georgia’s competitive disadvantages under the vehicles-related categories showing the strong impact of foreign-made automotive goods on the Georgian global balance sheet.

Georgia State’s Major Trading Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased 57.2% worth of the total value of products exported from Georgia during 2022.

1. Canada: US$7.2 billion (15.2% of Georgia’s total exports)
2. Mexico: $4.6 billion (9.8%)
3. mainland China: $4.1 billion (8.7%)
4. Germany: $2.5 billion (5.3%)
5. Singapore: $2.1 billion (4.4%)
6. India: $1.46 billion (3.1%)
7. Japan: $1.34 billion (2.8%)
8. Netherlands: $1.32 billion (2.8%)
9. United Kingdom: $1.13 billion (2.4%)
10. Belgium: $1 billion (2.2%)

Georgia’s top trade partners in North America–Canada and Mexico–accounted for one quarter (25%) of the overall value of exported goods from the Peach State.

The North American percentage compares with the 19% share for Georgian products exported to top Asian importing countries (mainland China, Singapore, Japan and India).

Another 12.6% was sent to leading importers of Georgian products located in Europe (Germany, Netherlands, UK and Belgium).

State of Georgia’s Export Companies

Thirty corporations based in the state of Georgia rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Selected examples are shown below.

• Acuity Brands (lighting, specialty chemicals)
• AGCO Corp (agricultural equipment)
• Axiall Corp (chlorovinyls, aromatics)
• Carter’s (children’s clothing)
• Flowers Foods (bread, other packaged bakery foods)
• Genuine Parts Company (replacement parts, electrical materials)
• Graphic Packaging Holding Co (commercial products packaging)
• HD Supply Holdings (industrial goods)
• Mohawk Industries (flooring products)
• NCR Corp (electronics, computer hardware, software)

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

Georgia’s state capital is Atlanta, a city nicknamed “The A” or “Hotlanta”.

See also Ohio’s Top 10 Exports, Alabama’s Top 10 Exports, Florida’s Top 10 Exports, Louisiana’s Top 10 Exports and Tennessee’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on June 14, 2023

Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on June 14, 2023

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2019 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on June 14, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 14, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 14, 2023

Statista, Real gross domestic product of Georgia in the United States. Accessed on June 14, 2023

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Georgia. Accessed on June 14, 2023

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on June 14, 2023

Wikipedia, Georgia (U.S. state). Accessed on June 14, 2023

Wikipedia, List of Georgia (U.S. state) companies. Accessed on June 14, 2023

Wikipedia, List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Accessed on June 14, 2023

World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Atlanta, United States. Accessed on June 14, 2023

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on June 14, 2023