Nicknamed “The Land of Lincoln” and “Prairie State” located in America’s Midwestern region, Illinois shipped US$80.2 billion worth of export products around the globe in 2025.

That dollar amount represents a 1.6% increase from $78.9 billion four years earlier in 2021.

Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from Illinois slipped by -2.3% compared to $82 billion during 2024.

Illinois ranks as fifth among America’s top biggest exporters by state logging front-runners Texas, California, New York state and Louisiana.

The value of Illinois’ exports equals 3.7% of the United States’ overall exported products sold in 2025, down from 4% one year earlier.

Illinois’ exported products represent 6.7% of the state’s total economic output or nominal Gross Domestic Product in 2025 ($1.202 trillion). That percentage lags the 7.2% for the prior year.

Given Illinois’ population of 12.5 million people, its total US$80.2 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $6,400 for every resident in the Land of Lincoln state. That dollar metric lags the average $6,450 per capita in 2024.

Illinois’ unemployment rate was 4.9% at the end of July 2026, up from 4.3% one year earlier per YCharts.

Illinois’ Top 10 Exports

The following export products represent the highest dollar value in Illinois global shipments during 2025. 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 2025 are showcased below.

1. Modems, similar reception/transmission devices: US$3.7 billion (4.6% of total Illinoisian exports)
2. Miscellaneous medications packaged for retail: $3.3 billion (4.1%)
3. Dumpers for off-highway use: $2.4 billion (3.1%)
4. Gold (unwrought): $2 billion (2.5%)
5. Immunological products (measured doses) for retail: $1.84 billion (2.3%)
6. Soya beans: $1.81 billion (2.3%)
7. Antisera, other blood fractions: $1.81 billion (2.3%)
8. Civilian aircraft, aircraft engines or other parts: $1.6 billion (1.9%)
9. Light petroleum oils: $1.4 billion (1.7%)
10. Vehicle parts, accessories: $1.2 billion (1.5%)

Illinois’ top 10 exports represent over one-quarter (26.2%) of the overall value of the state’s global shipments.

The fastest-growing export category from Illinois from 2024 to 2025 was unwrought gold, propelled by a 598.3% advance.

Double-digit year-over-year improvements were for Illinoisian exports of immunological products in measured doses (up 42.7%), modems and similar reception and transmission devices (up 23.7%), civilian aircraft or aircraft parts (up 15.9%) then miscellaneous medications packaged for retail sale (up 11.2%).

There was a trio of year-over-year decliners among Illinois’ top 10 export products. These were soya beans (down -44.9% from 2024), light petroleum oils (down -30.3%) and miscellaneous blood fractions or antisera (down -16.8%).

More Key Facts about Illinois’ International Trade

Illinois incurred a total -US$130.7 billion deficit exporting and importing products during 2025. That dollar amount reflects a -3.8% reduction from -$135.9 billion in red 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.

All told, goods imported into Illinois for 2025 amounted to US$210.9 billion.

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

1. Crude petroleum oils: US$42 billion (19.9% of total Illinoisian imports)
2. Miscellaneous digital processing units: $17.1 billion (8.1%)
3. Artificial joints, parts and accessories: $11.4 billion (5.4%)
4. Modems, similar reception and transmission devices: $9.6 billion (4.5%)
5. Solid-state semiconductor storage devices: $8.4 billion (4%)
6. Motor vehicle gear boxes: $5.6 billion (2.7%)
7. Medical, dental or veterinarian instruments: $2.7 billion (1.3%)
8. Pig iron (non-alloyed): $2.6 billion (1.2%)
9. Opacifying preparations (e.g. for xrays): $2.5 billion (1.2%)
10. Integrated electronic circuits (processors, controllers): $2.2 billion (1%)

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 Illinoisian Trade Partners

The following list shows the top 10 customers that purchased over two-thirds (70.8%) worth of the total value of products exported from Illinois during 2025.

1. Canada: US$18.1 billion (22.6% of total Illinoisian exports)
2. Mexico: $11.9 billion (14.9%)
3. Australia: $4.4 billion (5.5%)
4. Germany: $4.3 billion (5.4%)
5. Netherlands: $4.2 billion (5.2%)
6. United Kingdom: $3.7 billion (4.7%)
7. Brazil: $3.2 billion (4%)
8. mainland China: $2.9 billion (3.7%)
9. Japan: $2.3 billion (2.9%)
10. Singapore: $1.6 billion (2%)

Illinois’ top trade partners in North America (Canada and Mexico) bought 37.4% of the overall value of exported goods from Illinois.

In comparison, top importers of Illinoisian exports in Europe (Germany, Netherlands and the UK) accounted for 15.2% of the total.

Another 8.6% was bought by leading importers in Asia (mainland China, Japan and Singapore).

Illinoisian 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 August 23, 2026

FlagPictures.org, Flags of US States. Accessed on August 23, 2026

Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 23, 2026

GeoLounge, Fortune 1000 Companies List for 2019 , Fortune 1000 by State and Place. Accessed on August 23, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 23, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 23, 2026

State Symbols USA, State Nicknames. Accessed on August 23, 2026

Statista, Real gross domestic product of Illinois. Accessed on August 23, 2026

United States Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Illinois. Accessed on August 23, 2026

USA Trade Online, Official Source of Trade Statistics. Accessed on August 23, 2026

Wikipedia, Illinois. Accessed on August 23, 2026

Wikipedia, List of Illinois Companies. Accessed on August 23, 2026

YCharts, Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Report. Accessed on August 23, 2026