Based on United States Census Bureau’s foreign trade statistics, exported cars from all American states were worth US$53.5 billion in 2025.

That dollar amount represents a -10.1% decrease from $59.5 billion four years earlier in 2022 and an -11.5% year-over-year drop compared to $60.4 billion for 2024.

In comparison, the United States of America spent $181.1 billion on imported cars during 2025 up by 9% from $166.1 billion for 2022 but deflating by -16.6% from $217 billion in 2024.

Consequently America’s trade deficit buying and selling cars on international markets deflated by -18.5% from -$156.6 billion to -$127.6 billion in red ink for 2025.

America’s Top 25 States for Exporting Cars

Below are the 25 American states that sold $52.5 billion worth of exported cars in 2025, or 98.2% of the overall US total.

The 3 leading car exporters, South Carolina, Alabama and Texas, generated 42.1% of total cars exported from the US. That percentage is less concentrated than the 45% for the leading trio one year earlier.

1. South Carolina: US$9.8 billion (down -9.5% from 2024)
2. Alabama: $8.2 billion (down -24%)
3. Texas: $4.5 billion (up 8.4%)
4. Michigan: $4.4 billion (down -18.8%)
5. Georgia: $3.9 billion (up 51.4%)
6. California: $2.9 billion (down -22.5%)
7. Indiana: $2.8 billion (down -11.6%)
8. Florida: $2.4 billion (up 9.8%)
9. Ohio: $2.21 billion (down -25.3%)
10. New Jersey: $2.16 billion (up 44.9%)
11. Kentucky: $2 billion (down -21.1%)
12. Tennessee: $1.7 billion (down -35.8%)
13. Illinois: $1.6 billion (down -37.8%)
14. New York: $1 billion (down -26%)
15. Maryland: $439.1 million (up 0.2%)
16. Mississippi: $418.8 million (down -20.1%)
17. Minnesota: $318.2 million (down -16.8%)
18. Pennsylvania: $270.1 million (up 53.4%)
19. North Carolina: $242.1 million (up 27.7%)
20. Virginia: $235 million (up 10%)
21. Arizona: $203.8 million (up 26.9%)
22. Massachusetts: $190.7 million (up 83.5%)
23. Missouri: $174.7 million (up 36.3%)
24. Washington: $164.6 million (down -11.1%)
25. Wisconsin: $145.2 million (up 79.5%)

Year over year, the fastest-growers among the listed car exporting states were Massachusetts (up 83.5% from 2024), Wisconsin (up 79.5%), Pennsylvania (up 53.4%), Georgia (up 37.8%), New Jersey (up 44.9%) and Missouri (up 36.3%).

Leading the declining car exporters were Illinois (down -37.8% from 2024), Tennessee (down -35.8%), New York state (down -26%), Ohio (down -25.3%) and Alabama (down -24%).

America’s Top 25 States for Importing Cars

The leading 25 American states that spent the most on imported cars accounted for $180.6 billion or 99.7% of all cars imported by the US in 2025.

The top 3 importers of cars from foreign suppliers were Michigan, California and Texas. That trio bought just over half (50.7%) of America’s car imports.

1. Michigan: US$39.7 billion (down -8.3% from 2024)
2. California: $33.2 billion (down -13.4%)
3. Texas: $19 billion (down -27%)
4. New Jersey: $13.4 billion (down -18.3%)
5. Maryland: $12.4 billion (down -19.1%)
6. Georgia: $12.1 billion (down -19.7%)
7. Florida: $9.6 billion (down -4.8%)
8. Tennessee: $8.1 billion (down -31.5%)
9. Washington: $7.9 billion (down -19.9%)
10. Pennsylvania: $6.2 billion (down -18.7%)
11. Oregon: $5.1 billion (up 45.4%)
12. Rhode Island: $3.9 billion (down -19.9%)
13. North Carolina: $3.8 billion (down -23.9%)
14. New York: $1.3 billion (down -58.5%)
15. Puerto Rico: $1.07 billion (down -26%)
16. Louisiana: $1.06 billion (down -14.7%)
17. Massachusetts: $894.1 million (down -13.7%)
18. Wisconsin: $406.5 million (down -58.2%)
19. Hawaii: $314.5 million (up 14.6%)
20. South Carolina: $306.6 million (up 40.1%)
21. Virginia: $269.5 million (up 165.8%)
22. Ohio: $207.6 million (up 0.8%)
23. Minnesota: $203.6 million (down -27%)
24. Connecticut: $171.4 million (down -1.3%)
25. Kansas: $140.1 million (up 30.6%)

Among the listed US states, increases in spending on cars imported from international markets originated from: Virginia (up 165.8% from 2024), Oregon (up 45.4%), South Carolina (up 40.1%), Kansas (up 30.6%), Hawaii (up 14.6%) and Ohio (up 0.8%).

The severest decliners were car importers located in New York state (down -58.5% from 2024), Wisconsin (down -58.2%), Tennessee (down -31.5%), Minnesota (down -27%), Texas (also down -27%) and Puerto Rico (down -26%).
 

 

See also United States Top 10 Exports, United States Top 10 Imports, America’s Top 20 Export States and United States Top 10 Major Export Companies

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on April 21, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 21, 2026

United States Census Bureau, USA Trade Online. Accessed on April 21, 2026