That dollar amount represents a 30.8% increase from $59.8 billion four years earlier in 2019.
Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from Illinois accelerated by 18.4% compared to $66 billion during 2021.
Illinois ranks among America’s top 5 biggest exporters by state behind front-runners Texas, California, Louisiana and New York. The value of Illinois’ exports equals 3.8% of the United States’ overall exported products for 2022.
Based on research from Statista, Illinois’ exported products represent 9.8% of the state’s total economic output or real Gross Domestic Product in 2022 ($798 billion in current dollars based on BEA statistics).
Given Illinois’ population of 12.6 million people, its total $78.2 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $6,200 for every resident in the Land of Lincoln state. That dollar metric exceeds the average $5,200 per capita in 2021.
Illinois’ unemployment rate was 4.4% in March 2023, down from 7.4% at February 2022 per YCharts.
Illinois’ Top 10 Exports
The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Illinois global shipments during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Illinois.
Figures are shown at the more granular six-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, for more precise product identification.
Illinois’ most valuable export in 2022 are showcased below.
- Light petroleum oils: US$3.5 billion (4.4% of Illinois’ total exports)
- Miscellaneous medications: $3.3 billion (4.2%)
- Antisera, other blood fractions: $2.2 billion (2.8%)
- Soya beans: $2.11 billion (2.7%)
- Vehicles powered by electric motor only: $2.06 billion (2.6%)
- Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $1.75 billion (2.2%)
- Dumpers for off-highway use: $1.65 billion (2.1%)
- Corn: $1.45 billion (1.9%)
- Electro-diagnostic apparatus, parts: $1.13 billion (1.4%)
- Brewing or distilling dregs and waste: $1.06 billion (1.4%)
Illinois’ top 10 exports represent over one-quarter (25.8%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.
The fastest-growing export from Illinois from 2021 to 2022 were soya beans, thanks to a 183.2% advance.
Other top year-over-year improvements were for Illinoisan exports of vehicles powered by electric motor only (up 141.5%), antisera and other blood fractions (up 77.3%), corn (up 52.5%), electro-diagnostic apparatus and parts (up 51.8%), then light petroleum oils (up 44%).
The lone year-over-year decliner among Illinois’ top 10 export products was for dumpers designed for off-highway use, dragged down by a -9.1% reduction from 2021.
More Key Facts about Illinois’ International Trade
Illinois incurred a total -$165.5 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2022. That dollar amount reflects a 20.5% increase from -$137.3 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 Illinois’ top 10 import products highlighting the state’s highest spending on foreign-made goods in 2022.
- Crude petroleum oils: US$50.5 billion (20.7% of Illinois’ total imports)
- Smartphones: $26.8 billion (11%)
- Small portable digital computers: $14.1 billion (5.8%)
- Miscellaneous medications: $8 billion (3.3%)
- Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: $6.3 billion (2.6%)
- Immunological products in measured doses: $5.3 billion (2.2%)
- Malt beer: $4.9 billion (2%)
- Natural gas (gaseous): $3.35 billion (1.4%)
- Miscellaneous aircraft parts: $2.6 billion (1.1%)
- Video game consoles and machines: $1.4 billion (0.6%)
Illinois has highly negative net exports in the international trade of crude petroleum oils and smartphones. In turn, these cashflows indicate Illinois’ competitive disadvantages under these product categories.
Major Illinoisan Trade Partners
The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased three-quarters (75%) worth of the total value of products exported from Illinois during 2022.
- Canada: US$23.8 billion (30.4% of Illinois’ total exports)
- Mexico: $11.5 billion (14.7%)
- Australia: $4.55 billion (5.8%)
- Germany: $4.3 billion (5.5%)
- mainland China: $4 billion (5.2%)
- Brazil: $2.55 billion (3.3%)
- Japan: $2.4 billion (3.1%)
- Netherlands: $2.1 billion (2.7%)
- United Kingdom: $2 billion (2.5%)
- Singapore: $1.5 billion (1.9%)
Illinois’ top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) bought 45.1% of the overall value of exported goods from Illinois.
In comparison, top importers of Illinoisan exports in Europe (Germany, Netherlands and the UK) accounted for 10.6% of the total. Another 10.1% were bought by leading importers in Asia (mainland China, Japan and Singapore).
Illinoisan Export Companies
Sixty-nine of Illinois-based corporations rank among Fortune 1000 Companies, a list that showcases America’s largest businesses. Selected examples are listed below.
- Abbott Laboratories (generic drugs, medical devices, nutritional products)
- AbbVie (biopharmaceuticals, small molecule drugs)
- Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. (processed food, feeds, beverages)
- Caterpillar Inc. (heavy machinery, engines)
- Deere & Company (heavy machinery, engines, vehicles)
- Illinois Tool Works (fasteners, specialty products)
- Mondelez International (confectionery, food, beverages)
- Navistar International Corp (trucks, buses, engines, parts)
- The Boeing Company (aircraft, rockets, satellites)
- US Foods (packaged foods, frozen foods, fresh produce)
Shown within brackets for each company is a summary of the international trade-related products or services which each business sells.
The capital of Illinois is Springfield, a city nicknamed “Flower City”.
See also Alabama’s Top 10 Exports, Florida’s Top 10 Exports, California’s Top 10 Exports and Louisiana’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
Department of Numbers, Illinois GDP (dollars shown in real terms). Accessed on April 29, 2023
FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on April 29, 2023
Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on April 29, 2023
GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2019 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on April 29, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 29, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 29, 2023
State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on April 29, 2023
Statista, Real gross domestic product of Illinois. Accessed on April 29, 2023
United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Illinois. Accessed on April 29, 2023
USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on April 29, 2023
Wikipedia, Illinois. Accessed on April 29, 2023
Wikipedia, List of Illinois Companies. Accessed on April 29, 2023
World’s Capital Cities, Capital Facts for Springfield, United States. Accessed on April 29, 2023
YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on April 29, 2023